Anthem of the Angels
by LookOutShe'sGotAPen
Summary: We were sent into the Naruto world, our dream land. But for our happiness, there will be a terrible price. One of us will live happily here, the other will slip away forever... Naruto/OC Sasuke/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

Oh my GOSH.

What is wrong with me? *headdesk*

Gah. I've started ANOTHER fanfiction. -.- I have issues.

I do really like this one so far though. =)

Anyways, hope you read and like! Review please, and remember no flames! :D

LOSGAP =D

DISCLAIMER:

I do not own Naruto or any of it's characters. However, Hayley is very much my character as she is, well, me. (That's right, self-insert) Sibrina belongs to 'Nightengale'Serenade'93, aka Sibi-chan. The plot belongs to me :D

Also, the title means "Faith and Hope" ;)

* * *

"Senpai! We're lost AGAIN!" Hayley whined, stomping her foot. Sibrina scowled. "No we're not." He/She grumbled.

Hayley lifted her Tobi mask so she could look around. Deidara/Sibrina looked around as well, pretending she wasn't lost.

"Senpai has even worse direction then Tobi!" Hayley giggled. Sibrina tried to scowl, but ended up grinning back.

"Fine. We're lost. Though I thought for _sure _this was the way to the Naruto Panel." She said, frowning.

"Why don't we just pick a random direction and run that way? There's gotta be a cosplayer somewhere who knows where it is." Hayley pointed out. They looked around the sea of ninjas and sweat dropped. "Yeah I think one of these guys should know." They said in unison.

They ran up to a man in an authentic ANBU mask. "Hey, um do you know where we can find the Naruto thing?" Hayley asked hopefully.

The man turned to look at them, and then gasped. "Akatsuki!"

"Well duh." Sibrina snorted, swishing her cloak. "You like?" Hayley grinned. They were suddenly tackled clear to the ground, the wind knocked out of both of them.

Hayley groaned. "Ugh, _tell me_ we just got glomped by an over-obsessed fan girl." She grumbled into the ground.

"You're coming with us." Someone said and Hayley felt her wrists being bound.

"Whoa this is realistic! Maybe we're a part of some random skit thing!" Hayley said excitedly as they were dragged to their feet. Sibrina, who had looked scared, suddenly broke into a grin. "Yeah! That's probably it! Let's play along I guess." She said.

They both shrieked though when their surroundings disappeared and they were suddenly in what looked suspiciously like Tsunade's office.

"Wow. Cool." Hayley grinned. Sibrina paled though. "You can't fake that!" She hissed. "Something really weird is happening!"

"We found these two Akatsuki members wandering around outside. They're looking for Naruto." One of the ANBU guys said.

"The panel!" Sibrina protested. "They think we're hunting Naruto!" She hissed to Hayley. Hayley swore and stomped a foot. "Yo, Lady Coconuts. We're two obsessive teenage girls, not some demon-hunting evil guys!" She protested. Tsunade's eyes narrowed and Hayley gulped, thinking that little quip hadn't been a good idea.

"Take off his mask." Tsunade ordered. Hayley's Tobi mask was ripped off her face and she snapped her teeth at the man who had done it. "No touchy!" She hissed.

Sibrina sweat dropped. "Now's not a good time for this Hayley."

"A girl?" Tsunade said in surprise. "No shit." Hayley scowled.

"Remind me to discuss 'respecting your elders' with you later." Sibrina muttered.

"And I'm only like… young!" Hayley added. "We both are!"

"She does look a little young to be an Akatsuki member." Shizune, Tsunade's advisor, admitted.

"We both do!" Hayley snapped. "We couldn't hit the broad side of a barn wall with a kunai!" She protested. "Maybe _you_ couldn't." Sibrina corrected her.

"What should we do with them, Lady Tsunade?" One of the ANBU men asked. Tsunade frowned. "Put them in one of the cells. I'll deal with them in the morning."

---

"FML."

"I think 'FOL' works better in this case."

"…yeah. F both our lives."

Hayley banged her head against the concrete wall, scowling at the ceiling of their cell. "Yo, Sibi, calm down." She said, glancing up. Sibrina was pacing back and forth, her eyes gleaming.

"Don't you get it?" She giggled, brown eyes shining happily. "We're _in_ Naruto!" She said gleefully. Hayley's blue eyes widened. "Are you sure? This sounds like something that happens in those fanfictions we hate to read." She said.

"True, but come on! ANBU dragged us off, Tsunade sent us off into her dungeon! We're so in Konoha!" Hayley sweat dropped. "I don't think this counts as a 'dungeon'."

"It does in my world." Sibrina retorted, sticking her tongue out at her.

"Well, in _my _world, I'm hungry and I'm bored out of my ever-loving mind." Hayley scowled.

"I wonder how I'm going to explain _this _one to my mom." Hayley mused. "'Hey Mom, can you take some bail money out of my college fund? Kinda got in a jam here.'"

She replayed her imaginary conversation aloud and Sibrina's pacing halted.

"What if we never get home?" She wondered. Hayley shrugged. "I don't really care. My life sucked." Sibrina frowned briefly at her pessimistic friend but didn't push it. "I might get homesick though." Sibrina said, sitting down on the cot across from Hayley.

"Oh _please." _Hayley snorted. "One look at Itachi and you'll forget all about home; I'm gonna have to keep you on a leash." Hayley said and Sibrina grinned. "True. But I'll have to leash you first. I won't have you becoming a pedophile here." She pointed out.

Hayley shrugged. "Meh. I can wait a few years I guess." She said, not denying the fact she was pretty much a pedophile.

"I wonder if we're in Shippuden or regular…" Sibrina mused. "We'll have to find some people I guess." Hayley shrugged. "Can I go find Lee?" She asked hopefully. Sibrina frowned. "No. Not unless I can find Itachi." She retorted. "Itachi's a serial killer." Hayley pointed out.

"A _hot _serial killer." Sibrina sighed dreamily. "You're such a freak." Hayley snorted teasingly. "Hey, I'm not the one chasing guys in orange and green jumpsuits." Sibrina retorted. "At least I like the attractive ones."

"All the attractive ones are evil!" Hayley protested. "Excuse me for liking boys with heart, courage and strength!" She exclaimed, leaping up onto the bed and pointing a finger towards the ceiling. Sibrina sighed and sweat dropped. "And she's off, ladies and gentleman." She muttered.

"Boys who will fight for the ones they love! Boy who have been through hell, but don't spend their time angst-ing over it! Instead, they fight to overcome their trials and hardships! Boys whose hair doesn't look like a rooster's ass!"

"Language!" Sibrina snapped in annoyance and Hayley rolled her eyes. Hayley had always had a rather violent hatred towards Sasuke. And a dirty mouth.

"Let's just go to sleep. We can chase twelve year olds and serial killers in the morning." Hayley muttered, rolling over, out like a light.

---

"I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts… de de de. There they are all standing in a row!" Hayley howled, hanging by her legs off of the bunk bed and staring at the upside down form of Sibrina frowned at her. Though from her position, it looked like she was grinning at her.

"You're going to get in trouble for singing that." She pointed out. "What's she gonna do?" Hayley snorted. "The worst thing she could do is tie me to Sas-Gay for a day. I'd probably chew my arm off." Hayley scowled. Sibrina blinked. "Where do you come up with these things?" She wondered.

"Hey, now that we're here, do you think there's any awesome jutsus we'll learn?" Hayley asked suddenly. Sibrina grinned. "I hope so!"

"What element do you want to control most?" Hayley asked. "I want fire or water. They're both epic." She nodded. Sibrina frowned, her brow puckering with thought.

"Fire." She said firmly. Hayley raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Guess I'm water then. Just so I can put you out." She grinned.

Sibrina sighed in mild annoyance, mild amusement as she leaned back. "I want to do like lightning and crap." She grinned. "Like zap people, you know?"

"Awesome." Hayley grinned. "Water will still be awesomer."

"Awesomer isn't a word." Sibrina snorted. "It is now." Hayley retorted.

"You two." They both raised their heads when an ANBU member stood before the cell door. "You're coming with me."

"Ok." Hayley shrugged, jumping up. Sibrina trotted along happily, as was to be expected. She was probably hoping that was Yamato behind the mask; Hayley, who hadn't seen Shippuden yet, had not even seen him in the anime yet. Sibrina followed Shippuden almost religiously; she was always one of the first to see the new episodes. Hayley, however, was only about fifteen episodes and one movie into Shippuden.

What could she say, she was busy! And she had a terribly short attention span. Speaking of which, why was she reflecting on this? She should have been paying attention to her surroundings, but now they were already back at Tsunade's office.

She sweat dropped. One of these days her ADD was going to kill her.

"So, what are you gonna do with us?" Hayley drawled, leaning on one foot. She had slept in her Akatsuki cloak and her muscles were all killing her; judging by Sibrina's strained expression she was also in pain.

"She means, have you reached a decision milady?" Sibrina asked politely. Hayley rolled her eyes. "She's a compulsive gambler, why are you showing her any respect?" She muttered. Fortunately for both of them, Tsunade missed that.

"So far, I haven't seen anything threatening with you two girls." Tsunade said. "While you slept, we searched your cloaks and found no weapons. Only Pocky."

Sibrina turned an accusing glare at Hayley, who smiled weakly, then suddenly her face turned red with rage. "You searched our cloaks?!" She shrieked. "You… you _creepers!" _She snarled, unable to find a better word in her fury.

"Calm down. They're just doing their job." Sibrina muttered. "That's so icky though!" Hayley exclaimed, searching her pockets. She found the Pocky and sighed in relief, opening it up. Sibrina sweat dropped. "You're really going to eat that? Even though our fates are like dangling all dramatically right now?" She asked.

"Of course. Can't face your destiny on an empty stomach." Hayley muttered, twirling the chocolate covered biscuit in her mouth.

"Anyone want any?" Hayley asked, holding up her box.

The ANBU people were silent and Hayley shrugged. "More for me. It's not like I poisoned it or anything." She muttered, taking another biscuit.

"So yeah. What's it gonna be?" Hayley asked after a minute of silence occupied only by her chewing.

"Well, since you two are clearly no older then twelve or thirteen…" Hayley suddenly choked on her Pocky. "_Excuse _me?" She gasped as Sibrina whacked her repeatedly on the back.

"Sib! Do I look thirteen to you?" She demanded, turning to Sibrina. Sibrina blinked, her eyes widening. "Now that you mention it…" She said breathlessly. Hayley finally really looked at Sibrina and her own eyes widened as her jaw dropped.

"Dude! We're like chibi!" Hayley exclaimed. Suddenly she gasped. "Do you know what this means?!" She almost squealed. "We're not pedophiles!" They both exclaimed in unison, both resisting the urge to tackle each other in glee.

"…ok. Well, again, since you're young… Have either of you had any proper training yet?" Tsunade asked, giving us weird looks.

"No." They both said quickly. "We demand Iruka!" Hayley announced. Tsunade arched an eyebrow. "We'll discuss that later. Where are you two from?"

"From a galaxy far far away…" Hayley said, looking up. The ANBU officers all looked up as well. Sibrina sweat dropped.

"We're from a very distant country." She said. Hayley scowled briefly, annoyed she didn't get to have fun with this. "We're… sisters. Orphans. Our village was destroyed." Sibrina said. Hayley arched an eyebrow, impressed with her friend's creativity.

"Very well. Do you wish to remain in Konoha and train to become shinobi?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes ma'am!" Sibrina exclaimed. "Hell yeah!" Hayley said, pumping her fist in the air.

"…I'll take that as a yes." Tsunade said after a moment. "What are your names?"

"Hayley and Sibrina… uh." Hayley frowned. "Mikomi!" Sibrina burst out, then flushed when everyone glanced at her.

"Nice one." Hayley whispered, grinning happily. She already loved the name.

"Very well then." Tsunade nodded. "Hayley and Sibrina Mikomi… welcome to Konoha."

6


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:**

XD I love who this is going so far. It'll seem like a lot of crack at first but TRUST me it's gonna get real angsty all up in here.

LOSGAP =D

* * *

"Ok. First things first. We are _so _redecorating our ninja pad." Hayley said, looking around their apartment in disappointment. "It's so… bland." She frowned.

"I vote we paint it purple." Sibrina said, not even looking up from her breakfast. "Ok. My room's gonna be blue though. I refuse to have any other color." Hayley said.

"Fine by me. We need sparkles somewhere here too." She said and Hayley frowned. "We'll have to be careful about the sparkles," Hayley said warningly. "I don't want this place to look like two gay guys live here."

Sibrina rolled her eyes at the comment but didn't reply.

"We also should get some awesome ninja clothes." Hayley said. "Not like Sasuke's over-sized rubber costume or Naruto's… er, flamboyant jumpsuit. But something awesome." She said and Sibrina nodded. "Yeah we'll go shopping later." She frowned suddenly. "What do we do for money?"

"We'll find out. It's about time for school though." Sibrina pointed out and Hayley grinned. "YAY!" She was already out the door.

---

"Hmm. We simply must prank Iruka." Hayley commented as they emerged from school later that day.

"Gah don't tempt me!" Sibrina cried, plugging her fingers into her ears. Hayley smirked. "Well, he doesn't teach us the Dark Arts so I guess we should be nicer though…" She frowned, her conscience making a rare appearance.

Sibrina giggled at her comment. By the "Dark Arts", Hayley was referring to her most hated subjects at school- Algebra and Science.

"So… shopping or stalking?" Sibrina asked as they wandered off. Hayley's brow puckered in thought as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

"Well… I guess shopping. We can stalk them any day." She said finally. Sibrina grinned.

---

Hayley leaped out of the dressing room with a dramatic cry, striking a pose. Sibrina applauded, grinning. "Very nice." She said.

Hayley had donned a light blue strapless tank top and a matching skirt that stretched to just above her knee; she wore netting on her arms, black leggings and black sandals.

Her shoulder length chocolate brown hair hung free around her shoulders, as did Sibrina's dark blonde hair. Sibrina had picked out a more modest outfit of black slacks and a dark purple long sleeved T-shirt.

"Oh these are sexy." Hayley grinned, playing with her gloves that attached to the netting.

"You wish you were as sexy as me." Sibrina snorted. Hayley grinned. "True."

Hayley trotted off out the door, hardly able to contain her excitement. "Hayley, for the sake of everyone's sanity, promise me you won't glomp anyone, ok?" Sibrina asked patiently as they headed off in search of people.

"You know I can't make that promise." Hayley snorted as they ran through the streets of Konoha.

"You know what I've noticed?" Sibrina commented as she caught up to Hayley. "We're faster and stronger here." She pointed out. Hayley grinned. "Awesome." She said happily, throwing her arms behind her to run faster.

"Oh, a race eh?" Sibrina asked, quirking an eyebrow and taking off after her. Hayley, the ever competitive one, squealed in delight and took off faster.

They ran side by side, neither giving nor gaining an inch. Their breathing was slow and even, which felt oddly natural to Hayley. Running was suddenly easy, almost as simple as walking. It seemed impossibly effortless to breathe in and out easily, her feet moving as though of their own accord.

For a moment she lost herself in the simple joy of being able to do something _well; _she didn't trip, or feel even the slightest pain in her side. She was so caught up in it all it took her a minute to recognize the people walking towards her.

She put on an inhuman burst of speed just as Sibrina gasped beside her and Hayley took off running, shrieking.

Sibrina sweat dropped and slowed, knowing there was no stopping Hayley when she had entered Fan Girl Mode.

"NARUTOOOO!" She shrieked, disappearing in a flash. There was a rather loud _crash _as she tackled a rather unfortunate blonde into the ground.

"I LOVE YOU!" Hayley screamed, holding onto Naruto for dear life as he tried to squirm free.

"And people think _she's_ the sane one." Sibrina rolled her eyes as she came up. She held up her hand in greeting. "Yo. I'm Sibrina; the one humping Naruto down there is Hayley, my dysfunctional sister." She said.

"…Naruto has a fan girl?" Sakura said, stunned. "Yup." Sibrina nodded. "Wow." Sasuke looked even more surprised then Sakura, in his own way.

"Well, this is interesting." Kakashi yawned, taking out his book. Sibrina twitched but fought the urge to tackle him, unlike her friend, who was only just then rising from the ground. Both of them were dirty and ruffled, but Hayley was flushed and grinning while Naruto had a bit of a wild look in his eye.

"You're _crazy._" He said, shaking his head, dusting himself off. "Aw, you're so sweet." Hayley grinned. "Don't make me do that again." She added and Naruto paled ever so slightly.

"I'm sorry about her. She's usually better trained then that." Sibrina apologized as Hayley trotted up. "Oh please, like I'm the well-behaved one." Hayley snorted.

Sibrina frowned at Sasuke suddenly, a dangerous glint in her eyes. Hayley, who was the only one who noticed Sibrina's change in demeanor, leapt clear as Sibrina's knee shot up into the air.

Sasuke grunted and collapsed groaning to the ground. Hayley and Naruto both doubled over, roaring with laughter.

"Sibrina! I didn't know you had a groin shot in ya!" Hayley howled. "She got you _good_!" Naruto cackled, unable to support himself.

"And they say _she's _the sane one." Hayley giggled as Sibrina stormed off, scowling for no apparent reason.

"Hold up!" Hayley gave chase, still wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "Oh that was _glorious." _She chuckled, catching up to Sibrina.

"It was, wasn't it?" Sibrina asked, a smile quirking at her lips. "What was that for? Not that I don't whole-heartedly approve." Hayley added. "I would have done it myself, but I was a little distracted." She said and Sibrina rolled her eyes but didn't press it. Hayley's eyes narrowed. "This has something to do with Shippuden, doesn't it?" She demanded.

"Does Sasuke do something bad?" Hayley asked as they walked. Sibrina ignored her. "You already told me if I gave you any spoilers I wouldn't live to regret it." She grumbled.

"True." Hayley said thoughtfully, then stopped. Sibrina, confused, came to a halt a few steps later and looked back at her quizzically.

"I vote we make a vow." Hayley decided. "No matter what, we will not interfere with the plotline in _any _way." She said. Sibrina frowned. "I'm not so sure I like that idea." She muttered. "We don't know how the anime ends." Hayley pointed out. "We might screw up something really good; we could end the Naruto world or something all dramatic like that." She said.

Sibrina frowned. "True." She muttered. "Fine. Though this means you can't squash any budding relationships." She added and Hayley scowled. "Fine." She hissed, annoyed she wouldn't be able to back-hand any girl who looked at whoever she was interested in at the time.

"Agreed?" Sibrina asked, holding out her hand. Hayley nodded and grinned, taking it. "Agreed."

---

"Iruka sensei!" Hayley whined. "I want to work with weapons today!" She begged.

Iruka's eyebrow twitched. "Hayley, for the last time, we're not doing weapons. We're doing strategy!" He snapped. Hayley flopped back in her chair with a pout.

"If we don't work on weapons soon, I'm going to cry." She said flatly. Iruka rolled his eyes. "Ninjas don't cry." He said, then stormed off.

"Do I have to talk to you about respecting your elders _again_?" Sibrina wondered. Hayley scowled. "No. I just don't like authority figures. I don't respect the man. REBELLION!" She shrieked, standing up in her chair. When everyone turned to stare she frowned. "What are you looking at? Shouldn't you be working?" She demanded, calmly sitting back down.

"You're such a freak." Sibrina snorted, returning to her work. "Well you're a teacher's pet." Hayley snorted, doodling a picture of her beheading Sasuke on the paper she was supposed to be working on. Sibrina glanced at her paper and sweat dropped before returning to her own work.

---

"How is it possible that _ninja _school is rotting my brain?" Hayley wondered as they stepped out of the building.

"You're just sulking because Iruka got mad about the Sasuke picture." Sibrina snorted. Hayley scowled. "He doesn't appreciate art." She muttered.

"You're lucky he didn't send you to the school therapist or something like that." She said, then blinked. "Do they even _have _school therapists?" She wondered.

"Meh I hope not. I hate those creepy little dudes." Hayley said, her nose wrinkling in distaste.

Sibrina suddenly came to a halt. "Hayley, remain calm." She said quietly. Hayley blinked, looking around her. "Eh? What's going on?"

Wordlessly, Sibrina lifted her hand and pointed towards a group a short distance away.

Hayley's eye twitched. "Is that…?" Her voice was slightly tinged with awe. "It is." Sibrina said solemnly. "Rock Lee." They both breathed in unison.

At the sound of his name Lee turned, frowning curiously at both of them. Hayley resisted the urge to faint. Hayley blinked and he was suddenly in front of them.

"Hey there!" He grinned, his teeth flashing. Hayley almost squealed. "Would you go out with me? I swear I would protect you with my life!" He said and Hayley shrieked.

"YES!" She cried, glomping him. "YES! Oh happy, happy day!" She squealed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Um… you're very nice and all, but I was actually talking to her…" Lee said, blushing. Sibrina's jaw dropped as Hayley disappeared.

"Why me?" Sibrina asked, blinking in surprise at him. "Because you're very pretty!" Lee grinned. Sibrina sweat dropped. "Wow. That's shallow." She said flatly. A little arrow seemed to shoot Lee straight through the chest.

"Look, I like that you're straight-forward and you'd protect me with your life and all, but I think you'd have a way better chance with someone else. Sorry dude." Sibrina said. Lee, recovering from the arrow, looked crestfallen.

"Why does no one want to go out with me?" He wondered, chibi tears streaming down his face.

"Um did you forget something?" Sibrina asked, pointing towards Hayley, who was crouched beside a building, a dark cloud of gloom surrounding her. Lee sweat dropped. "She's… different."

"She also kisses the ground you walk on." Sibrina said dryly. "Hayley, what are some of your pet names for Lee again?" Sibrina asked and Hayley raised her head.

"The Beautiful Green Sexy Beast of Konoha. My little Kiwi Love Muffin." She said flatly, then hung her head again. "Who hates me!" She wailed.

Sibrina looked back at Lee. "See? She's crazy about you." She said. "She's… uh…" Lee frowned.

"If I hear crazy, someone's gonna get back handed from here to Tsunade's front window." Hayley said flatly.

Lee blinked. "No! That's not it!" He said quickly. "She just isn't really my type!" He said as Hayley stood up.

Hayley's eyes flashed. Sibrina blinked. "You know I'd kill you myself usually for telling her no, but I'd rather watch her do it myself." She said flatly.

Lee shrieked as Hayley tackled him clear to the ground, then sat on his stomach and glared down at him.

"How do you know I'm not your type?!" She demanded. "We just met! GAH! I should have known beneath the green jumpsuit you were so shallow!" She snapped.

"I'm not shallow!" Lee protested. "I learned all I know about girls from Guy-sensei!" He exclaimed. Hayley smacked her face into her palm. "I should have known." She muttered. "Who would have guessed the two running around in skin tight clothes would be perverts?" Sibrina asked dryly.

"Now, how to punish you for insulting my honor…" Hayley frowned, rubbing her goatee thoughtfully.

"I didn't insult your honor!" Lee exclaimed, looking scared as he waved his hands back and forth in front of himself. "You're just not my type!"

"Shut up, I need an excuse to kill you." Hayley snapped. "Hmm." She frowned.

"Let's go Sibi-style on this one." Hayley grinned, standing up. Lee stood up as well, looking wary. "What does that… OOF!" He collapsed to the ground, folding in on himself. Hayley grinned. "There goes _your_ honor, biz-nitch!" She exclaimed, making a peace sign.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

*chibi tears* I'm sorry for Lee. XD I had to squash any feelings for him before they started. Lol. Trust me he does not belong in the plot.

;)

Well, now that I've done my job of entertaining you for a short while, it's _your _turn to do your job! Time to review!

Ta ta!

LOSGAP =D

7


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:**

Yay I'm so glad you're all back! =)

Well, enjoy the chapter! ^^

- LOSGAP =D

* * *

"Hayley! For the last time, groin shots are _not _allowed!" Iruka exclaimed.

"But they work!" Hayley protested, frowning at the ten year old boy squirming on the ground.

"They're not honorable though! A ninja fights with _honor!_" Iruka snarled, his eyebrow twitching. "So if I was up against Orochimaru I wouldn't be allowed to kick him where it hurts?" Hayley asked, raising an eyebrow. "No!" Iruka snapped.

"What if he's got Sibrina by the hair and is about to kidnap her?" Hayley demanded. Iruka rolled his eyes. "Fine. You know what, I don't even care anymore. Whatever." He threw up his hands and stalked away.

"Dude I think you annoy him more then even Naruto did." Sibrina said in surprise as she came over. Hayley grinned. "I have that effect on people."

"I hope you don't flunk out of ninja school. That'd kind of suck." Sibrina said as they left, since school was over.

"I know; I mean how dumb do you have to bed? Even Naruto graduated!" Hayley exclaimed. "You said he's a genius." Sibrina frowned. "Yes, but you gotta admit his cloning was weak during the test." Hayley pointed out. "True." Sibrina nodded.

"We'll have to perfect some kick-ass jutsus." Hayley added as they walked. "We both need some crazy talents. Want to hit the library?"

---

"Wow. This is actually fun." Hayley mused, her nose stuck in a book on water jutsus.

"It is. I could really go for some caffeine though." Sibrina pouted. "They just have icky tea." Hayley said, wrinkling her nose.

Hayley snapped her book shut suddenly and stood up. Sibrina raised her head and blinked at her curiously. "Where you are going?"

"Off to train. I think I found some cool jutsus. Care to join me?" She asked and Sibrina shook her head. "Nah. I want to read some more. Maybe later though." She said and Hayley nodded. "'K. I'm off then." She saluted and trotted off and out of the library

---

"Hayley!" Sibrina called, wandering through the training ground Team 7 had pointed her towards. Considering she'd had to stop and ask for directions, Sibrina suddenly doubted Hayley had even found the training area- she was far too stubborn to ask for directions.

"Hayley?" She called again, looking around curiously. She spotted her eccentric friend then and sighed, shaking her head.

Hayley was sitting in the fork of a tree, her legs swinging back and forth, but her eyes were closed in concentration. Sibrina came to stand in front of the tree and looked up at her. "What are you doing?"

"Training." Hayley muttered, not even opening her eyes. Her hands formed several signs, including the tiger Sibrina recognized instantly as part of a fire seal. She waited, and after a few tense moments Hayley's eyes snapped open.

"Crap." She scowled. "I don't think fire's my calling. Your hair was supposed to catch on fire." She frowned. Sibrina just blinked at her. "Wow. I'm glad you care about my safety so much." She said flatly. Hayley rolled her eyes. "Did you really think I could do it?" She muttered.

"No." Sibrina admitted. "How'd you get up there anyway?" She asked curiously. "I flew." Hayley rolled her eyes. "Did you walk up it?" Sibrina asked and Hayley shook her head. "Nah I just climbed up old-fashioned." She shrugged.

"That book I read said that your parents are supposed to teach you your special jutsu." Hayley admitted as Sibrina started to wonder if she should climb up there.

"Oh." Sibrina blinked. "Yeah that makes sense." She admitted. "Or your mentor or whatever." Hayley said. Sibrina let out a little surprised shriek when she suddenly pitched forward, only to catch herself and hung upside down from the branch by her legs. She grinned down at Sibrina, who was now almost at eye level.

"What are you doing?" Sibrina demanded, annoyed she had scared her. "Thinking. This increases blood flow to the brain." Hayley explained, her forehead already started to redden slightly. Sibrina sweat dropped but didn't comment.

"We'll talk to Iruka about it. He'll know." She decided and Hayley nodded, and then promptly fell off the tree branch.

---

"Special techniques?" Iruka questioned, looking up from the papers he had been grading- Hayley noticed a rather large F and grimaced, realizing it was probably her quiz.

"We've been orphans for a long time. Our parents never taught us anything." Sibrina said quietly, playing the sympathy card, knowing Iruka's past; Hayley mentally applauded her friend.

"Hmm." Iruka frowned, then leaned back in his chair and looked at them curiously. "Well, maybe they _did _teach you something." He said thoughtfully. "Did they ever talk about any special abilities you have? Something other people can't do?" He asked. Sibrina and Hayley both frowned, lost in thought.

"…my mom said I've always been really good at reading people and finding out what's bugging them." Hayley finally admitted after a moment.

"Uh… I'm really good at destroying things." Sibrina said. Hayley arched an eyebrow. "Wow Sibs." She grinned. "What? I'm good at it!" Sibrina retorted.

"So there you go. Take those talents and try to form a jutsu out of it." Iruka said. "Now get out of here, you have better things to do then hanging in a school all day." He said and Hayley grinned at him. "Yup! We've got lives- come on Sib, we got jutsus to master!"

---

"HNRN!"

"…"

"GAH!"

"…"

"Nrragh!"

"Dang it Hayley! Can't you concentrate _quietly?" _Sibrina finally demanded, snapping her head up.

"What? I have trouble doing _anything_ quietly." Hayley retorted.

"Well could you just not grunt and stuff? It's quite distracting." Sibrina said. "Fine." Hayley sniffed, closing her eyes again.

_Finally. Peace and quiet. Now, destruction… heh heh heh…_

"Did you say something?" Hayley asked, glancing up at Sibrina. She blinked and shook her head, then closed her eyes again.

_Hayley's hearing voices again. _

"OK I _know _you just said something! And I don't hear voices!" Hayley snapped. Sibrina looked at her, genuinely confused.

_Did I say that out loud? _Hayley's eyes widened. She heard Sibrina's voice as clearly as if she was speaking, though her lips did not move.

"You didn't say that out loud." Hayley whispered, latching onto the hope of this jutsu she had apparently stumbled across.

_Dude! You can read minds now?! That's so unfair! _Sibrina exclaimed in her head. "No need to shout." Hayley frowned. "But isn't this cool?! Hold still, I want to work on it." She commanded.

_Why do I need to hold still to think? _Sibrina thought dryly, but Hayley ignored her and closed her eyes.

Hayley caught onto the last thought to cross Sibrina's mind and held on, trying to figure out how she could sense it and if she could turn it on or off.

Sibrina's eyes widened in shock as thin silver tendrils, as pale and airy as smoke, suddenly swirled around Hayley's arms, crossing over to Sibrina. They slithered up her arms with no feeling and no sound, and disappeared.

_Well this feels weird… _Hayley mused and Sibrina stiffened.

_Get out of my head! That's so gross! _She exclaimed, trying to remember the smoke things she had seen come off of Hayley so that Hayley could see for herself.

_Wow that was weird; I was like smoking. Huh. I wonder if that was my chakra… _She mused.

_Just please get out of my brain. _Sibrina repeated and Hayley sighed, and allowed herself to recoil back into herself. The silver wisps of chakra floated off of Sibrina and returned back to Hayley.

"Ok. I can't hear you anymore." Hayley said, her eyes snapping open.

"That was so cool… but freaky." Sibrina breathed, her eyes wide. "_You_ thought it was creepy? I was the one hearing voices!" Hayley exclaimed.

"Ugh I'm tired now though. I'm heading home; you gonna stay here and blow shit up?" Hayley asked, standing up.

"Yeah probably." Sibrina replied happily. "Try not to pry on anyone's private thoughts, please?" Sibrina asked as Hayley started to walk away.

"I was just thinking of going home and sleeping, but that's a great idea!" Hayley exclaimed, trotting off. Sibrina groaned and face-palmed.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Wow you actually stuck it through to end! I'm impressed.

Review, yeah?

- LOSGAP =D


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:**

Can't really think of anything to say this time around. Remember to review, ne? ^^

- LOSGAP =D

* * *

"Oi, Naruto!" Hayley called, spotting the orange clad blonde.

"GAH! It's that freaky fan girl!" He exclaimed, stabbing a finger at her and promptly turning on his heel to flee.

"Wait! I have ramen coupons!" Hayley protested, giving chase. Naruto instantly skidded to a halt and turned to look at her warily.

"Ramen coupons?" He repeated slowly. Hayley brought the coupons out of her pocket and waved them happily.

"Five free ramen dinners at Ichiraku's." Hayley grinned. Naruto eyed them, his eyes following them as she waved them around.

"And they can be all yours… for a fee." She said.

"What's the fee?" Naruto asked in a trance, still watching the coupons.

"I need a favor. Walk and talk with me." Hayley grinned, slinging an arm around his shoulder and leading him off, privately squealing at the fact he was so close to her.

---

Sibrina sat alone in the training ground, perched on a stump.

_Come on… inspiration! _She thought, scowling fiercely with concentration.

"HEY! Watcha doin'?" She shrieked and nearly fell off when Naruto's voice sounded loudly in her ear.

"Naruto!" Sibrina snapped in annoyance. "What the heck are you doing here?" She demanded.

"Seeing what you're doing. I'm bored." He replied, crossing his arms behind his head.

"Then go bug Hayley! She'd love to have your company, and she's not training!" Sibrina growled.

She'd always had a little soft spot for the blonde, but right now she was trying to train and he was being a distraction; she had a habit of snapping at anyone when she was concentrating.

"Hayley's a freak." Naruto snorted. "Yes but she's my freak, so it's fine with me." Sibrina shrugged, closing her eyes and trying to concentrate again.

"So what are you training for?" Naruto asked eagerly, up close and in her bubble again. This time she really did fall off the stump.

"Naruto! Personal bubble!" She hissed, flapping her arms around her to indicate the bubble.

"Ok! Sorry." He muttered, crouching next to her. He poked her side, making her squeal indignantly and thrash. "What did I just say?! Bubble!"

"What? You're cute when you thrash." Naruto grinned, poking her again.

---

_Haha nice job on the cute remark! Now you're really bugging her! Poke her again!_

_ Have I mentioned just how _creepy _it is for you to be in my head?!_

_ Just think of the ramen Naruto. _

_ …fine._

Hayley grinned to herself from where she was sitting not too far away in a tree, her eyes closed, seeing everything through Naruto's eyes.

Being inside Naruto's head was an incredibly weird experience; she felt, saw and heard everything he did- she was aware of every passing thought, every flicker of emotion. He had no secrets from her.

_You know it's really weird when you dwell on things like that. Do you do that _all _the time? _Naruto's voice complained inside her head.

_Shut up and keep poking her. _Hayley ordered, grinning at the sight of Naruto waiting until Sibrina had relaxed and concentrated again before poking her.

_Wow you're good at this. _Hayley thought as Naruto sat down next to her and started playing with her hair, making Sibrina twitch.

_I'm good at annoying people. _Naruto replied with a mental shrug; images of incredibly pissed off looking people flickered through his mind and made Hayley giggle to herself.

_Ok I have a really naughty idea. Can you run fast? _She thought and Naruto hesitated.

_Yeah… why do I have a bad feeling about this? _He wondered, making his fingers walk up Sibrina's arm to her hair to keep playing with it.

_Snap her bra strap. _

_ WHAT?!_

---

Sibrina shrieked and leaped ten feet in the air, then whirled on a grinning Naruto.

"That's it!" She snarled. "You! DIE!"

Naruto screamed and took off running as Sibrina gave chase, fury radiating off of her.

"Fire style! Lightning blade jutsu!" She exclaimed, her fingers quickly forming the needed seals that sprang to her mind.

She threw her hand up in the air as lightning arched through her open palm, darting through the air and exploding into the ground just behind Naruto, leaving a charred bush behind.

"This is so not worth the ramen!" Naruto sobbed, running faster.

---

"Hmm. Where's Naruto?" Hayley wondered, sitting at the bar at Ichiraku's, wondering where he was.

She wondered if he was ok; she'd broken the mind link between them as soon as Sibrina had thrown a lightning bolt at him. Naruto's terror had freaked her out and made her feel a bit guilty, but overall still happy- by provoking Sibrina, they'd finally made her mad enough to discover her jutsu.

She raised her head when Naruto finally parted the curtain and came in. She suppressed a snicker as Naruto slowly came to sit down next to her. She noticed his suit was rather… charred.

"She get you?" Hayley asked sympathetically. Naruto just coughed in response, smoke escaping him.

"Ramen will make it all better." Hayley assured him, patting his head and resisting the urge to glomp him.

---

"Wow. You practically barbequed poor Naruto." Hayley commented as she came to her apartment to find Sibrina eating dinner.

"Yes." She said curtly. "He deserved it though." She growled quietly.

"I know. I was there." Hayley said. She grinned at Sibrina. "At least you have your kick-ass jutsu now." She said.

"There's that. But how do you know about that?" She asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I was in Naruto's head. He has such a quirky mind." She grinned. Sibrina scowled at her. "Were you telling him what to do?" She demanded.

"…damn. Didn't think you'd catch on that fast." Hayley said. Sibrina glared daggers at her. "Should I run?" Hayley asked.

"I think that would be a good idea." Sibrina said, calmly putting her chopsticks down.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:**

I update this story too fast.

Oh well. That's good news for you. ;)

Hope everyone loves the chapter! Please review! ^.^

LOSGAP =D

* * *

"This is our solemn hour." Hayley said, staring at the door.

"Very solemn." Sibrina said, her face somehow remaining straight.

"Our lives depend on this moment." Hayley said.

"Our ninja careers as we know it." Sibrina nodded.

"…well let's go." Hayley said, pushing the door open.

"Ah, there you two are." Iruka said, looking up and nodding. "'Sup?" Hayley asked, waving her hand lazily as she trotted over to sit down on her desk, swinging her feet over the edge. Sibrina rolled her eyes and sat down behind hers.

"Well, let's get these final exams over with." Hayley said. "Ok guys- these are the final tests! I hope you guys studied hard." Iruka said, passing them out.

---

"All right Sibrina. It's your turn now." Iruka said, looking up. "You can do it!" Hayley shrieked, bouncing up and down and attempting to do cheerleader moves.

Sibrina came to stand in front of Iruka and promptly disappeared into a puff of smoke. When she remerged, Hayley was standing there. Hayley arched an eyebrow.

"Very good." Iruka said, writing something down. Sibrina/Hayley turned to Hayley and grinned, making a peace sign as she returned to her original form.

"All right… Hayley. Please don't do anything stupid." Iruka said warningly as Hayley skipped up to him.

"You need to have a little faith in your students, sensei." Hayley said as she grinned, making the seals.

With a puff of smoke, she turned herself into Iruka.

"Well? Are you going to make me dance or something?" Iruka asked dryly after a moment when Hayley just stood there grinning.

"I didn't even think I'd make it this far." Hayley replied, looking surprised.

"I think we're all a little surprised by that fact." Iruka replied in amusement as he marked something down.

---

"WE DID IT!"

Sibrina sweat dropped slightly as Hayley took off running/leaping through the village, waving her headband in the air.

She leaned back against a building and tied the headband around her head and grinned to herself, proud of her accomplishment.

_Though this means I'll have to fight eventually. _Sibrina realized, frowning. _Hayley and I both will. What are we going to do about teams? _She wondered with a start.

Hayley's distant yells still reached her and she smiled slightly to herself, ducking her head.

_She'll figure out something totally confusing, yet plausible, plan to keep us together. _She thought in amusement.

---

"I have a headband, it's very shiny, it's on my forehead…"

"Hayley, you've been singing that song all day."

"I know, but it's a good one!" Hayley beamed, skipping in a circle.

"Hayley…" Hayley turned her head to look at her suddenly serious friend. "…what are we going to do about teams?" She asked softly.

"I don't know." Hayley blinked, suddenly realizing how unappealing the thought of being on the same team as two strange boys was.

"We'll talk to Iruka." She assured her.

---

"Um… Iruka sensei?" Hayley asked, tracing her toe on the ground.

"I already have a bad feeling." Iruka sighed, turning to look at her. "Oh hello Sibrina." He said with a smile, probably glad that "Hayley's much better half" was there, as she was often called.

"Can we talk to you?" Hayley asked, looking forlorn.

"Uh sure?" Iruka blinked, probably wondering what she was up to.

"It's just that… we're so much older then the others… and we've _never_ been apart… ever. We were wondering… could we be our own team?" Hayley asked, peering through her lashes up at him.

"While I can sympathize with you girls, I don't give special treatment to anyone." Iruka said apologetically.

"You gave special treatment to Naruto!" Hayley snapped, and then blushed when Iruka stared at her.

"How do you know?" He demanded. Hayley raised an eyebrow.

_Because I can read your mind. _Iruka's eyes widened in surprise as Hayley's thoughts entered his mind. She cackled evilly internally, which probably wasn't a good idea since she was still in Iruka's head.

"Come on sensei! We're two orphans and we have too much talent to waste running around with a bunch of snot-nosed little kids!" Hayley snapped, losing her patience.

"What she means is," Sibrina interrupted before Hayley could further embarrass herself, "We fight best together. We don't want to be separated."

Iruka leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, frowning at them.

"I'll talk to Tsunade about this." He decided finally. "No promises though." He warned, and was promptly cut off by a choking glomp by Hayley.

"Thank you Iruka sensei!" She squealed, bouncing up and down.

---

"So you two want to be in a team together? As you two should know, that's not how things go around here." Tsunade said, frowning at Hayley and Sibrina.

"Yes we know." Sibrina said, glancing at Hayley. "But we… er. Well…" She trailed off.

"What she means is, we fight best together." Hayley picked up where she left off. "I can read minds and Sibrina can zap people. I can get inside her head and tell her where to aim if she can't see her targets; we could work from a distance. I find their minds, and tell her where they are." Hayley said, resting a hand on her hip and leaning her weight onto one leg.

"Interesting." Tsunade murmured, leaning her chin onto her two folded hands.

"How about you two go on a test mission? If I think it's a good idea, I'll keep you two together. If not, you'll just go your separate ways, like everyone else." She said.

"That's all we can hope for I guess." Hayley shrugged while Sibrina bowed. "Thank you Lady Tsunade." She murmured, turning on her heel to leave, dragging Hayley with her.

"Come on, we've got a mission to train for!" She hissed.

---

"Sibrina?" Hayley asked, tilting her head at the window from where she sat at the breakfast table.

"Yeah?" Sibrina glanced up at her.

"Has there always been an ANBU dude perched like an owl in our window?" Hayley asked curiously and Sibrina turned to see a man in an ANBU mask crouched in their kitchen window.

"I don't think he was there before." Sibrina frowned.

"I have news from Lady Tsunade," The ANBU man said, ignoring their comments and blank looks. "Your mission will be at dawn tomorrow. Your assigned team will be waiting for you outside your door."

"Oh cool." Hayley grinned.

"Thank you." Sibrina nodded as the ANBU man disappeared.

---

"I wonder who we got." Sibrina murmured, half to herself as they approached their front door.

"I don't care really. I'll be fine with pretty much anyone." Hayley said, opening the door to find their team waiting for them.

"Of course." They both dead panned in unison, slumping against the wall with clouds of gloom hovering over them.

"Come on now! You're two lovely girls in the prime of your youth! No time for moping, we've got a mission!" Guy sensei exclaimed, striking a pose.

"This is such a waste of time." Neji muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Uh… youth!" Hayley exclaimed, striking a pose, finally deciding she could screw with Lee later when she was more fully awake.

"That's the spirit!" Guy exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up and an extra sparkly smile.

"Yay." Sibrina said flatly, scowling briefly at Lee before she trudged off. "Let's get going." She muttered.

"She's a beast in the morning. Then again I am too." Hayley explained as she trotted after Sibrina.

"Hey, Hayley's worse." Sibrina snorted. "At least everyone knows where they stand with me in the morning. You, however, are bipolar. One minute you're giggling and bouncing off the walls, the next you're trying to stab me with a fork."

"That was one time." Hayley grumbled. "And I was kidding."

"Sure you were." Sibrina muttered, lapsing into silence.

"All right! Let's go!" Guy announced, taking off at a dead run.

"Yes Guy sensei!" Lee exclaimed happily as he gave chase.

"Would it be wrong to trip him in mid-air?" Hayley asked as she and Sibrina grudgingly began to run, just in front of Neji and Ten-Ten.

"No, but we might get in trouble." Sibrina pointed out. "Shoot." Hayley scowled.

---

"So what's our mission?" Sibrina finally asked, leaping up beside Guy.

"We're going to infiltrate an enemy base." Guy grinned.

"What?! Isn't that like an A ranked mission?!" Hayley exclaimed, horrified.

"We won't be going in! You two are going to do all the fighting from a distance." Guy explained.

"Oh. That sounds easy." Sibrina sweat dropped.

"We can pull that off… I think." Hayley frowned.

"Relax. It's abandoned. No one will be in there." Guy added. "Then why…?" Sibrina frowned at her.

"I'm going to send one of us in there so Hayley can track their minds and give the location to Sibrina; I'll get them out before she blows the place up, don't worry." He added quickly.

"Oh. This actually sounds fun." Sibrina grinned. Hayley relaxed, a smile unconsciously tugging at her lips.

She had thought for a few wild moments they would have to fight enemies and possibly kill people; Hayley was a lot of things, but not a killer.

_Still… someday I may have to kill people to protect the village. _Hayley thought, glancing at Sibrina. Her jaw was taut, her brown eyes unreadable as she gazed ahead.

_It's totally unrealistic, but I hope neither of us has to kill anyone. _

"I vote we send Lee in." Hayley offered suddenly.

"Huh? Why me?" Lee asked in surprise.

"Because- hypothetically of course- if Sibrina should… _accidentally_ fire too early, I bet you could run out in time… right?" Hayley grinned.

"Of course I could!" Lee replied.

_Wow. He can't even take a threat on his life seriously. _Hayley thought to Sibrina, sweat dropping.

_I know. Now get out of my head, please?_

_ Fine. I gotta practice sensing minds anyway. _Hayley thought, withdrawing from Sibrina's mind.

She closed her eyes and relaxed, allowing the tendrils of her chakra to stretch out around her.

Everything grew dim and quiet. Around her she could feel the pulse of living things; her chakra immediately extended towards brightly pulsing lights, coiling around them.

_I can feel the thoughts of everyone around me! _Hayley thought, startled, careful to keep her voice from echoing in everyone else's head.

She extended her mind around her, detecting the much smaller pulses of animals.

_I wonder how far I can go… _Hayley mused.

"Hayley! Look out!"

"Huh?" Her eyes snapped open just as she slammed into a tree.

"Well this sucks." Hayley muttered into the bark.

---

"Are you sure you're ok?" Sibrina asked anxiously.

"Yeah I just got some bark between my teeth. I'm fine." Hayley replied.

"Really? Because your forehead's bleeding." Neji snorted.

"I am?" Hayley asked in surprise, raising her fingers to her forehead and sure enough, when she removed her fingers they were covered in blood.

"Ah well. Let's get going." Hayley said, standing up and swaying slightly.

"Whoa!" Ten-Ten, the nearest one to her, caught her and balanced her. "Jeez, you really hit your head hard!"

"I'm fine. Really." Hayley shook her head. "Let's get going."

Finally after a moment Guy was the first to take off, Neji right behind him.

"You sure you're ok?" Sibrina asked as they gave chase. "Yeah." Hayley replied, though her head was killing her.

"Why were your eyes closed?" Sibrina asked.

"I was figuring out how to sense minds." Hayley admitted. "I just got a little too into it I guess." She shrugged.

"Next time you do that, you may want to wait until we stop moving." Sibrina pointed out.

"Yeah, yeah…" Hayley rolled her eyes and they continued their steady pace.

"How much farther?" She called ahead.

"About three days of travel!" Guy called back.

Hayley sweat dropped. "Great."

8


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:**

More fun this time. Not quite to the angsty bits yet ;)

Please review when you finish ^.^

LOSGAP =D

* * *

The tree branch shuddered under Hayley as she landed on it, pushing off firmly and propelling herself onward.

The light was dim, making it hard to see the next landing spot. She tried to stay in the air as long as she could before coming back down; it made it hard to concentrate on anything but her movements.

No one spoke, though the air wasn't tense; it was relatively relaxed. The only ones who seemed anything other then completely relaxed were Hayley and Sibrina, both thinking of the mission ahead.

Hayley was lost in thought, trying to think of the best way to approach it; how close would she need to be? How would she show Sibrina where the building was?

"We're here." Guy announced suddenly and Hayley bit her lip as they landed in a small clearing where they were to camp for the night.

She'd never been camping for then one night; even then just in a tent in her backyard, where safety/a toilet was never too far away.

_Gah. I've been through worse though. _She thought, though she was still a little apprehensive of the idea.

And how does Hayley cope with fear or nervousness?

By bugging the hell out of people.

As they all prepared to settle down, Hayley headed over to Neji, who ignored her as though she were merely a troublesome fly, even as she sat down just behind him.

She poked him softly. "Can I braid your hair?"

"What? No." Neji growled, not even looking at her.

"But it's so pretty." Hayley whined. From across the campsite, Sibrina giggled quietly at whatever face Neji just made.

"Leave it alone." Neji growled as Hayley's fingers inched towards it.

"But you have such a glorious mane!" Hayley exclaimed, and then to the great amusement of Sibrina and the horror of Neji, Hayley leaned forward and sniffed it.

"What the hell are you doing?" He demanded, somehow vanishing a few feet away and facing her, glaring at her.

"I'm trying to figure out what shampoo you use. Your hair is like a shiny, lush brown waterfall."

Neji ignored her and returned to setting up his bedroll, his back to her. Miffed at being ignored, Hayley wandered off to set up her own.

---

"Camping sucks." Hayley grumbled to Sibrina as they set off to travel again.

"Ah." Sibrina nodded.

Hayley was sore in places she didn't know could even get sore. As far as she was concerned, camping could go die.

_Like that makes sense. _

"We're going to have to do that a lot. You should get used to it." Sibrina pointed out.

"I think that's the worst part of being a ninja. You have to sleep outside all the time." Hayley complained.

"Would you quit whining?" Neji growled from behind them. Hayley turned her head so she could stick her tongue out at him and turned back to watching where she was going, not wanting a repeat of the day before.

_Any ideas for the mission? _Hayley thought, allowing herself to sink into Sibrina's mind.

_Please warn me before you do that- and no. _Sibrina thought back.

_Darn. Well we'd better think of something before too long. I'd really really hate to get separated. _Hayley thought.

_I don't want too either. _Sibrina replied as Hayley withdrew from her mind and back into her own.

---

"Lee! Are you in position?" Guy asked into his wireless radio.

He nodded to himself and looked over at Hayley. "All right Hayley, you're good to go!"

Hayley swallowed hard, ignoring the sudden wave of nervousness as everyone turned to look at her expectantly. She sat down cross-legged on the ground, closing her eyes and entering the state that allowed her to enter minds.

The bright minds of Neji, Ten-Ten, Guy and Sibrina pulsed around her as the tendrils of her chakra felt around; with a start she realized she actually recognized Sibrina's mind, even without entering it.

_Maybe it's because I was in there before? _Hayley thought as she threw out her chakra, trying to sense ahead.

In her mind's eye she saw a colorless version of the forest ahead, arching around trees and plants as it searched for human minds. She traveled quickly though, not taking much in as she raced along silently, searching for Lee.

Finally, she felt it; the tiny pulse of a mind, just a little farther ahead. As she pushed on, the pulse strengthened and she latched onto the signal.

_Hi Lee! _Hayley called as she entered his mind, embracing herself around his thoughts like an overexcited dog.

_Uh hi? _Lee thought, startled.

_You can go now, I'm gonna have Sibrina blow this place up in a minute. _Hayley thought and she could feel Lee nod.

_Ok! I'm going! _Hayley smiled slightly to herself as she withdrew. _Gah Lee, why do you have to be so cute? It makes it hard to hate perverts like you._

As soon as Lee raced away from the abandoned building, Hayley felt her chakra starting to stretch out, trying to find another mind to latch onto. Frantically she pulled it back, feeling her body shudder with the effort.

_All right Sibs. _Hayley thought, her body straining as it tried to keep up the effort of holding her chakra in place and entering Sibrina's mind. _Can you see where my chakra is?_

In Sibrina's mind, she could feel Sibrina's inner eye traveling the length of Hayley's chakra to the abandoned shelter.

_I can! _Sibrina thought in shock. _Just hold on a little longer and I can do this! _Hayley's body trembled as Sibrina started gathering her chakra.

_Hurry… _Hayley thought, her vision flickering.

_Don't kill yourself over this! _Sibrina growled as her chakra suddenly expanded. Worrying over Hayley gave her a strength boost as her hands formed the familiar seals.

"Fire style! Lightning strike!" Sibrina cried. The skin on Hayley's arms tingled as something hot brushed past her arm. The lightning traveled the length of her chakra, following it like an invisible path. Hayley watched it in wonder, waiting until it hit the building before releasing her chakra.

She released it as soon as she felt the lightning connect with the building; she jerked back, feeling the impact of the explosion even from their distance.

"Whoa." Sibrina caught her as she fell, unable to hold herself up.

"We did it." Hayley panted, fighting the urge to go to sleep as she blinked sleepily up at Sibrina's concerned face.

"Nicely done!" Guy grinned, giving them both a thumbs up. "Lee, did you make it out?"

"Right here, Guy-sensei!" They all turned in surprise when Lee darted through the bushes directly in front of them.

"That was most exciting!" He grinned.

"Glad you had fun." Hayley wheezed, her eye twitching in annoyance. Only Lee could find running for his life exciting.

_…I'd probably find that fun too though. _Hayley admitted silently.

"So are we heading back now?" Sibrina asked. "First we'll check out the wreckage." Guy said. "Let's go!"

He, Neji and Ten-Ten darted off almost instantly. Lee started to follow but Sibrina dropped Hayley and he glanced back. "Are you two all right?"

"She's heavy." Sibrina complained.

"What? No I'm not! Suck it up and carry me!" Hayley commanded from the ground.

Sibrina sweat dropped and kicked her, making Hayley yelp and flail.

Lee sweat dropped too. "I thought you two were sisters. Why are you kicking and yelling at each other?"

"It's part of being sisters." Hayley grinned. "Now, since I can't move and Sibrina looks like she wants to bite me, I nominate melon rind over there to carry me." Hayley said, pointing at Lee. Lee blinked and pointed at himself. "Me?"

"I don't see any other melon rinds." Hayley said dryly.

Sibrina kicked her again, making Hayley squeak. "What did I do now?!"

---

"Erm, Hayley, could you not squeeze so hard?" Lee asked, his voice sounding a little strangled.

"Oops. Sorry." Hayley said happily, giving his neck one last good squeeze before relaxing her grip and snuggling her face into his neck.

"You're such a creeper." Sibrina snorted from where she raced alongside them. "I know. Isn't it great?" Hayley asked, grinning widely at her.

_So what was the kicking about? _Hayley asked, still a bit miffed about that. _Isn't it obvious? Lee was standing right there! I wanted him to be the one carrying you! _Sibrina replied in amusement.

_Really? Oh! I never thought of that! Well thanks I guess… you realize I'm going to have to get you back for kicking me though?_

_ I know. But you also owe me for that piggy-back ride so it's all good. _Sibrina thought back, grinning at her.

_This is a very glorious piggy-back ride, so I may forget about the kicking thing. This is quite awesome. I should break both my legs and hire Lee to carry me around. _

Sibrina just rolled her eyes, but didn't stop grinning.

"Wow!" Lee skidded to a halt, knocking Hayley's head against his shoulder blades.

"Oh, sorry! Are you all right?" Lee asked, glancing back at her. "Just fine." Hayley muttered into his back.

"Ooo…. Look what I did." Sibrina grinned, pointing ahead. Hayley peeked around Lee's shoulder and blinked.

"Wow Sibs." She said in surprise. Where she had previously sensed a fairly sized building, there was now nothing but a smoking crater.

"That's a little scary." Ten-Ten sweat dropped.

"Yes it is." Hayley nodded. "Can we go home now?" She asked and Guy nodded. "Yup! We have to go report to Tsunade!" He said.

"Oh yay! Civilization!" Hayley exclaimed happily.

6


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:**

Title and summary have been changed. ^^ Also the mystery pairing has finally been revealed. Yay. :D

Any guesses as to whom winds up with whom?

LOSGAP =D

* * *

"Lucy, I'm home!" Hayley called, swaggering into Tsunade's office.

"Who's Lucy?" Shizune asked, not getting the pop culture reference. "Never mind." Hayley waved a hand dismissively as Sibrina and Team Guy finally entered.

"How did the mission go?" Tsunade asked as Guy approached the desk.

"Fantastic! These girls are great." Guy grinned. Neji snorted but didn't voice his opinions. Hayley glared at him, wondering if she was fast enough to kick his shins or something before he stopped her.

"Did they succeed?" Tsunade asked and everyone nodded. "Building went bye-bye." Sibrina grinned.

"Hmm." Tsunade frowned at the two of them. "I'll admit, that's very impressive." She said. "I have never come across a mind reading ninja before."

"One of a kind." Hayley grinned. "Tell me; is it a jutsu or a bloodline ability?" She asked curiously. Hayley blinked. "Uh…" She said wisely.

"I believe it's a bloodline ability, milady." Sibrina said politely. "She doesn't use hand signs."

"Then it must be." Tsunade nodded. "That's an impressive ability. It's right up there with sharingan or byakugan." She said.

"Cool." Hayley grinned. "You're a valuable asset to our village. As are you, Sibrina." Tsunade said, turning to the blonde. "Your lightning jutsu is very impressive. I wasn't sure if I believed a girl your age could destroy a building, especially from that distance. You're also valuable." She nodded and Sibrina smiled and bowed in thanks.

"You two need a team with skills like your own. It wouldn't do for you two to be held back because of slow teammates." Tsunade frowned. "I hate to give any one captain five students though." She frowned.

"You may leave; I'll send for you when I have made my decision." Tsunade said. "Thank you Guy." She nodded to him. He grinned and nodded back. "Anytime, milady." He said. "Let's go!" He announced, taking off, his team right behind him.

---

Hayley awoke in the middle of the night with a start, staring at the ceiling. She shivered as wind blew in through her open window and scowled, climbing out of her warm bed to shut it.

_Ugh. I hate not being able to sleep when it's cold. _She scowled. Ever since she was young, if she ever shivered in her sleep she would awaken; an incredible annoyance in wintertime.

She stumbled out to the kitchen in search of a midnight snack, yawning. She blinked in surprise when she saw Sibrina was sitting at the table.

"Thought you'd come out when you smelled food. There's an extra bowl of ramen for you." Sibrina said, jerking her head towards a bowl at the other end of the table. Hayley grinned. Sibrina knew her so well.

She sat down and started slurping up the ramen happily; it took her a few minutes to notice Sibrina's silence. She glanced up and blinked in shock at her friend. Sibrina's brown eyes were red and slightly puffed; her cheeks were rosy and streaked with dried tears.

"You're crying." Hayley said in surprise, putting her chopsticks down. She frowned at Sibrina. "Whose ass am I kicking?"

Sibrina barked a short laugh and fought a grin. "No one's. Well maybe you should kick mine. I shouldn't be crying." She sniffed, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

"What's wrong?" Hayley asked, more quietly after a few moments of silence had lapsed between them. "…I miss home." Sibrina admitted quietly.

Hayley blinked in surprise, and then her face softened in sympathy. She stretched her arm across the table and patted her friend's hand. "It'll be ok. I know you miss your parents."

"This is like a dream come true," Sibrina went on. "So why am I unhappy?"

"It's normal to miss your parents." Hayley said comfortingly. "Then why aren't you crying?" Sibrina asked. Hayley lowered her gaze and stared at the table.

"I don't miss them." She admitted softly. "They don't miss me, why should I miss them? Besides," Hayley pushed on, hating the flash of pity in Sibrina's eyes. "I love this place! I got to see Sasuke go down, deprive Lee of his honor and glomp Naruto!" She said happily. "If it makes you feel better, we can go weasel hunting." Sibrina's eyes widened. "But he's a serial killer!" She protested, though her eyes had noticeably brightened at the mention of Itachi.

"That everyone is looking for anyway. We may as well join in." Hayley shrugged and grinned. Sibrina grinned back at her. "I'd like that. Though let's wait until we find out who are team will be though." She pointed out. "True. Now eat your ramen and go to bed like a good girl. Things will be better in the morning." Hayley said, stretching over to pat Sibrina's head.

---

"Gah. I hate waiting!" Hayley complained. "…I'm going to try and lick my elbow." She decided.

Sibrina watched in amusement as Hayley rolled around on the ground, attempting to accomplish the impossible feat.

"I swear, watching you when you're bored is better then cable." She snickered.

The two were waiting in the training grounds for their new captain; Tsunade had assigned them one with a team that "was doing very well and could handle two rookies".

"Must. Resist. Temptation." Sibrina muttered, staring at the trees around them, her hands twitching.

"Do what I do when I get bored. Resort to immature tactics to entertain yourself." Hayley said, looking up from the knot she had tangled herself into.

"I've discovered I can lick almost every joint in my body except my elbow." She said in annoyance, rolling over and inching across the ground, the elusive elbow always frustratingly out of reach.

"I'm not ADD like you." Sibrina replied in amusement, rolling her eyes as she lay back and stared at the sky, deciding to go Shikamaru and watch the clouds.

---

They had arrived early, so as the hours ticked past it didn't really occur to Hayley that their sensei was late.

"What time was he supposed to get here?" Hayley asked suddenly. They were both lying on the ground, watching the clouds.

"Noon." Sibrina replied. Hayley blinked. The sun was already starting it's slow descent.

"…I think I know who it is." They both said in unison, then looked at each other, grinning in excitement. "Kakashi!"

"You called?" They both jumped when, with an explosion of smoke, he appeared before them.

"Oh YES!" They scrambled to their feet, leaping into the air to high five each other.

"I see I don't need to introduce myself." Kakashi nodded. "What are your names?" He asked. "Hayley and Sibrina Mikomi, at your service." Hayley grinned, saluting the masked ninja. Kakashi made her laugh in the anime; that automatically earned her respect. Plus, he kicked ass.

"So what now?" Hayley asked. "Where are Naruto, Pinkie, and the Gay-tard?" Hayley asked, frowning at Kakashi.

"I'm here to assess your abilities." Kakashi replied. "Then you can meet the team." Kakashi said. He lifted his hand, revealing a single bell. Hayley's eyes widened slightly.

"This will be your test. I have one bell, and there are two of you. One of you must get this bell. The only way you will get it is if you come at me as if you are going to kill me." He said. He tilted his head, as though smiling at them through the mask.

"Now, let the fun begin."

**Author's Note:**

Yes I know the chapter was shorter then usual. But Kakashi's awesomeness made the chapter as good as a long one.

Hope you enjoyed. Review, ne?

LOSGAP =D

5


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:**

Can't really think of anything to say again. Oh well. Review, yeah?

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley stared unhappily ahead, her eye twitching.

She was _starving. _They had missed lunch, since Kakashi had kept them waiting; though she wondered if perhaps that had been Kakashi's plan, like it had for Team 7.

Not too far away, an ear-shattering explosion was heard, making Hayley wince and duck as debris blew over her.

_Sounds like Sib found him. _Hayley thought, sweat dropping slightly as Kakashi streaked past, looking a bit wild-eyed.

She turned to go after him, then heard Sibrina call her. She turned her head as Sibrina caught up, panting. "Dang it, he's a fast little bugger." She scowled. Hayley sighed. "I know. It's infuriating."

"Who's a fast little bugger?" Kakashi asked, popping up behind them. Hayley shrieked as kunai and shuriken suddenly pelted them, shielding her face with her arms. It was all over in a few seconds, but she took longer to recover, standing there trembling.

_He could have killed us! _She thought wildly as she lowered her arms. "Sibs, you ok?" She asked, glancing over, then her eyes widened. "Sibrina!"

"He really got me." Sibrina said, looking a bit surprised as she looked at the kunai sticking out of her stomach. "Holy shit! I'll kill him! I swear! Just hang on while I get some help!" Hayley exclaimed, trying to keep her head. "I don't think there's time." Sibrina said, in that same, detached, oddly relaxed tone. She looked at Hayley and smiled slightly as blood ran down the corner of her mouth before her head lolled back.

"Sibs?" Hayley's voice quavered as she pressed two fingers against Sibrina's neck. There was no pulse under her fingers.

---

"Hmm." Kakashi said to himself, tilting his head and frowning at Hayley, crouched over where she clearly thought her sister Sibrina lay dead.

"Maybe I should have gone easier on her." He mused.

"KAKASHI!" He looked up in surprise when Hayley turned to him, her eyes wild and red with grief.

Blue chakra snaked around her legs, climbing steadily up her as it arched and swirled, as she continued to stand there.

"Uh-oh." Kakashi frowned.

---

She didn't even know what was happening as she turned slowly towards Kakashi, rage flying like fire through her veins. All she knew was she looked him in the eye and threw herself mentally at him with all her strength.

She found herself standing before a giant, pad-locked gate. She stared at it a moment before shrieking and flinging her mind against it. It shattered around her and suddenly, she _was _Kakashi.

She was looking through his eyes, feeling his shock at Hayley's sudden, violent intrusion into his mind. She could see herself standing a few feet away, motionless and staring into space. Sibrina's body was nowhere to be found.

A memory that was not her own of locking Hayley in a genjutsu filled her and relief flooded her. She should have known!

She mentally face-palmed, and to her surprise Kakashi smacked his face into his hand. She removed the hand and stared at it in wonder.

_She was in control of him. _

She tried to step forward and Kakashi's foot went forward a few inches. She shuddered with delight and wonder. She was aware of Kakashi's mind still present, watching everything helplessly. She could feel him struggling against another gate she had erected after shattering the first; she did not remembering setting up the gate, but it was there, keeping Kakashi trapped in his own mind.

She wondered if it was safe to leave her body just standing there; she wandered over to it, feeling Kakashi's struggles increase as he demanded to know what she planned to do with his body.

_Relax, Kashi. _ Hayley thought, grinning at the nickname Sibrina had given him. _I'm not going to hurt you, though I really should after that trick you pulled. _She thought.

Sibrina wandered into the clearing then, and looked at Kakashi with surprise. She grinned then. "Hand over the bell, Kakashi." She said, her hands slowly forming the signs Hayley recognized for the lightning blade.

"Wait! It's me!" Hayley cried, waving her hands. Sibrina frowned curiously as Kakashi waved his hands around.

"It's me Hayley I mean!" Kakashi's voice exclaimed. "I got trapped in his head!" He/she explained. Sibrina frowned at her. "How do I know this isn't just a genjutsu?" She asked warily. Hayley sweat dropped inwardly. Sibrina was so much smarter then her sometimes it was ridiculous.

"No it's me! Look!" She pointed over to her body, still standing motionless. "Here, just to prove it…" She reached down and untied the bell and tossed it to Sibrina, who caught it and stared at her. "You really must be Hayley." She said. Then she grinned. "And I won! Wahoo!" She danced around in a little victorious circle.

"Now, how to get out…" Hayley mused, privately smiling to herself at Sibrina's excitement.

She closed her eyes and was before the gate again, and she could see Kakashi behind it, his arms crossed as he looked at her.

_Are you mad sensei? _Hayley asked, privately amused to see Kakashi locked up. Why, she didn't know. It was just oddly funny to her.

_A little. I'm just glad you didn't make me dance or anything. I must admit that was impressive though. _He nodded. _Thanks. _Hayley grinned. _Can you let me out now? _Kakashi asked hopefully. Hayley shrugged. _Sure. To be honest this is so majorly creepy I can't even begin to describe it to you. _She snorted as she walked up to the seal that was on the gate. She tore it off, and found herself back in her body. She and Kakashi were both shaking their heads and blinking as though they had just awoken from a dream.

"That was so weird," Hayley muttered, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I got the bell." Sibrina sang, still dancing.

"You both pass," Kakashi said and Hayley beamed. "Yay!" She grinned happily. "Can we go out for ramen before I pass out?" She asked hopefully.

---

"Mmm… food…" Hayley sighed dreamily as she entered the now familiar site of Ichiraku's.

"Hook me up with the usual." Hayley said, plopping onto a stool as Sibrina jumped up beside her.

Kakashi had declined their offer of ramen and had left them, so when Hayley felt a tap on her shoulder she turned, wondering if Kakashi had changed his mind.

"Naruto!" She exclaimed happily, and then sweat dropped when she noticed Sakura and Sasuke standing behind him.

"_You're _our new team mates?" Naruto exclaimed. "Aw man! This sucks!"

"Oi! In case you've forgotten, Sibs and I can both kick your ass." Hayley snapped. "Be a bit nicer!" She growled. She pointed her chopsticks at the ever sour-faced Sasuke. "That goes for you too." She muttered.

Being on the same team with Naruto made her sparkle with joy, but Sasuke and Sakura's presence dimmed that joy somewhat. Sakura made her want to pull her hair out and drive forks into her eyes; she was so _useless! _All she ever did was stand around wailing the names of whoever was fighting. "Sasuke! Naruto!" Or fawning over Sasuke. Whatever Sakura was doing, it was sure to drive Hayley up a wall.

"So why are you guys here?" Sibrina asked as everyone took a seat around the two girls; Hayley nearly swore when Sakura chose to sit beside her for some reason.

"Kakashi told us to come meet our new teammates; he said we'd meet you guys in here." Sakura explained.

"Didn't expect to find you two though." Naruto grumbled, and then visibly cheered up when his ramen was placed before him.

"Well this is going to be one interesting team." Hayley commented. "I despise two of you already."

"Which two?" Naruto, the one beside Sibrina, asked curiously, glancing up from his ramen. Hayley thought about telling him, but decided not to. "You can figure it out for yourselves." She decided, tapping her nose and grinning.

"That won't take long." Sibrina muttered.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Yes it was short again, stop pointing out obvious things. Next few chapters will more then make up for it, I promise. =)

LOSGAP =D

PS.

I've been looking for good Naruto stories to read lately. Anyone know any good ones, especially ones with OC's? I'd appreciate it if anyone could recommend any good ones. ^^

5


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:**

More crack. But some actual sustenance too; those who guessed at the pairing last chapter will see hints if they're right or wrong this chapter ;)

LOSGAP = D

* * *

Hayley rolled over and attempted to put her foot behind her head, and to her intense surprise and delight, she succeeded.

"Lookie! I did it!" She cried in excitement, wiggling her foot at everyone sitting around her.

"Awesome." Sibrina yawned.

"Why are you doing that?" Sakura deadpanned. "Because I wanted to see if I could." Hayley said, waving her foot at her. "Hmm." She eyed her other foot and rolled over, attempting to get that one behind her head too. Sasuke rolled his eyes.

They were doing what had become routine; waiting for Kakashi. Team 7 was sprawled around the training grounds, sitting in somewhat of a semi-circle. Well, most were sitting. One was lying on the ground, fast asleep; the other was currently rolling in a circle.

"Sibrina," Sasuke spoke suddenly and she looked away from Hayley rolling on the ground to Sasuke. "Yeah?"

"Is your sister…" He frowned, looking at Hayley. "…mentally delayed or something?" He asked finally. "Of course not, why would you think that?" Sibrina snorted. As though on an unspoken consent, they both turned to look at Hayley, who was trying to lick her elbow again. Her hand inched across the opposite side of her head, her fingers crawling towards her face. She glanced over at the hand beside her and shrieked, falling over in a knot of confused limbs.

"I rest my case." Sasuke deadpanned.

---

"Oh I'm so excited!" Hayley exclaimed, clapping her hands. "How are you so excited at this time of day?" Naruto yawned.

"Be happy, damn it!" Hayley snapped and everyone flinched. "See what I mean, she's totally bipolar in the mornings." Sibrina grumbled as Hayley skipped off.

"If I'm correct, she'll pass out in about a minute or so." Sibrina said as they all fell into step behind her.

They were on their first mission, an escort assignment; it was a B ranked mission. Their escort, **Kemuri** **Taiyou, was a man not much older then twenty. He was a merchant, and had requested an escort because of false accusations for stealing from a neighboring country prevented him safe travel. **

** "I can believe we've got a B mission." Sibrina muttered to Hayley, finally catching up to her. "I know, isn't it great?" Hayley grinned. "I think Tsunade trusts us a little too much. What if we screw up?" Sibrina hissed. "We've got Team Kakashi to help us!" Hayley whispered back. "If we mess up, they'll help us." She said. **

** "I don't want to depend on someone else; I want to do this ****_right." _****Sibrina insisted. Hayley looked over at her in amusement. "I never knew you were so independent. I thought I was supposed to be the stubborn one."**

** Sibrina shrugged and smiled.**

**---**

Hayley sighed and rolled over in her bedroll to look up at the stars. A small, happy smile tugged at her lips.

_If anyone had asked me just a short while ago if I was happy with my life, I would have laughed in their face. _She thought, her eyes tracing over familiar constellations.

It seemed like everything was falling into place; she was _happy. _She was no longer a burden on her family; she had no school to worry herself over, only a village she already felt loyal too. And Sibrina; her happiness wouldn't have been complete without her best friend.

_So this is what true happiness feels like. _Hayley thought, a smile quirking at her lips as she looked around the camp. Everyone was asleep except for Sasuke, who was keeping watch. She frowned slightly at him.

_These are the good days, eh? Before you abandon everything for your stupid need for revenge. _She thought. She felt a pang as she looked at him. Sure, she hated his decision and she didn't support it (she also thought his hair was absolutely ridiculous) but when she had seen him leave in the anime, she'd actually felt _bad_ for him. She knew what it was like to feel so alone.

_I wonder how he'd react if I tried to talk him out of it. _She wondered briefly. _I'd probably just push him to Orochimaru faster though. _She thought with a sigh.

_Besides, I'm not supposed to mess with the plotline. _She thought. She flinched inwardly when Sasuke, not knowing she was watching her, absent-mindedly lifted a hand and placed it on his shoulder, over where the cursed seal was as he tilted his head back, looking at the stars. For a brief moment she caught a glimpse of his onyx eyes, gleaming with starlight.

_Damn it, how can someone so screwed up be so _cute_? _She wondered in annoyance, turning her back to him. She wondered if she could spy on his thoughts without his noticing. She dispelled the thought almost instantly; she knew there was no chance of fooling the prodigy.

_What are you thinking about, Uchiha?_

---

"I never thought missions could be so _boring._" Hayley muttered to Sibrina, who nodded in agreement.

It was the second day of the mission; the second day of walking in silence. Well, not complete silence. To amuse herself, Hayley often picked on Sasuke, since he had annoying Naruto covered. Also, just because she liked seeing expression on his face instead of the same, boring flat look he looked at the world from.

She reached her arm forward, her one finger extended to poke the back of Sasuke's head.

"Wow." She muttered, poking it again. It was _soft. _She'd expected it to be gelled or something.

"Would you quit that?" Sasuke growled.

"What? I just wanted to see if your hair was as stiff as it looks. It's actually quite soft… and addicting to touch…" Her other hand stretched forward, eager to join in the fun.

"Why don't you go rub Naruto's head?" Sasuke demanded, not bothering to try and shake her off. He probably knew that would just make her more determined.

_Smart kid. _She thought with a grin.

"Because he'll hit me." Hayley replied.

"I don't hit girls." Naruto snorted. "You'd hit me if I starting rubbing your hair though, wouldn't you?" Hayley asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"…Yeah, I probably would." He admitted. "Sasuke's too lazy to bother." Hayley said, resuming petting Sasuke's odd hair.

"So it really just grows like that? Poor boy." She clucked.

"I like Sasuke's hair." Sakura piped up quickly.

"Of course you do." Hayley muttered. Sasuke sighed and finally just sped up, going to walk beside Kakashi where he clearly thought Hayley would stop bugging him.

She debated for a while, wondering if Kakashi would notice her petting Sasuke right next to him; would she get in trouble?

She was interrupted in her wondering when Kemuri slowed down and came to walk beside her.

"You're Hayley Mikomi, right?" He asked. Hayley glanced up at him and nodded.

Kemuri was a man with the look of a merchant about him; he was small and wiry, with an oddly charming, open face. He had short cropped black hair and friendly, curious brown eyes. His skin was like dark honey, stretching over his thin frame. He wasn't much taller then her, and Hayley was the shortest person she knew, next to Naruto.

"We were never properly introduced. I'm Kemuri. Call me Kem if you like." He said, offering his hand. After a moment Hayley shook it, unsure of how to act around him. She'd never trusted strange men.

"So I hear you're a mind reader?" He asked and Hayley forced a fake smile. So he was out for information then. "Yes I am." She said.

"Wow, that's amazing!" He exclaimed.

_People think this guy stole some junk? _Hayley thought as Kemuri started to babble about how he wished he could do that, though he would never make a ninja, he didn't have the body or the determination for it…

_Hmm. I don't believe I've ever met such an annoying person before. _

"But anyway, you're probably wondering about the whole reason I need an escort." He said. Hayley glanced at him, her interest aroused.

"It happened a long time ago," He admitted. "My father and I have never gotten along. He wanted me to be a ninja, I wanted to sell things. I like talking to people, you know? I like striking up a conversation, and finding a bit out about someone and helping them find what they need. But anyway, I needed a boost to get started for my own store. Kick-start, y'know? Anyway I just took what was rightfully mine from the family trust; my share, and he acts like I stole it! Next thing I know, he's got a price on my head!" He exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air, startling Hayley.

"But anyway, that's pretty much my story. I used that money to start over in a new village, and so far it's been great, except for the odd assassin creeping into my room at night." He said it so seriously it took Hayley a minute to realize he was kidding.

"Sounds like an interesting life." Hayley said, mostly out of politeness. She really just wanted to shoo him off and go back to annoying Sasuke.

"It can be." Kemuri replied, crossing his arms behind his head. He reminded her oddly of Naruto.

Sighing, she readjusted her pack and settled herself to wait for a long, boring, one-sided conversation with Kemuri.

---

They had been traveling for two days, and were now about half way there, according to Kemuri.

"Perhaps you'd all like to come by my shop? I can give you all a great deal!" He said.

"What do you sell, anyway?" Naruto asked, tilting his head. "Women's clothing." He replied.

_Why am I not surprised? _Hayley thought, sweat dropping as Kemuri practically twirled, singing about how he loved dressing up all the lovely ladies.

Sasuke was actually the first one to notice what was going on; Kakashi was distracted by Kemuri throwing an arm around him, asking him something Hayley didn't catch when Sasuke suddenly drew his kunai.

It all happened very quickly then.

She darted to Kemuri as soon as she saw Sasuke's kunai, throwing herself into Sasuke's mind.

_Where are they? _She demanded silently, drawing her own kunai and looking around warily. Kemuri shrieked and leaped into Kakashi's arms, his reaction several seconds slower then everyone else's.

Through Sasuke's senses, she pin-pointed a strange man crouched in the bushes along the path.

_Good eye. _She thought silently, withdrawing from his mind.

"Who's out there?" Kakashi called, dropping Kemuri, who landed in the dirt with an indignant squawk.

The man melted from the bushes, and Hayley took a step closer to Kemuri, sensing he was dangerous. He looked oddly like a bigger, more muscular version of Kemuri, but he had green eyes; she guessed that people from his country were all tan and dark.

"He works for my father." Kemuri whimpered, hiding behind Kakashi. Hayley sweat dropped at his cowardice.

"Hayley! Behind you!" She whirled at Sibrina's cry, and felt something scratch her cheek as she ducked.

_That could have been my throat. _She thought wildly, rubbing off the blood on her cheek.

The woman behind her frowned, clearly annoyed she had been avoided. "Sibrina!" Hayley called, jumping clear.

"Already on it!" Sibrina replied, her hands forming the seals. "Kemuri, Kakashi, get back!" Kakashi crouched down and picked up Kemuri, leaping clear as Sibrina's lightning bolt struck the ground.

Everyone shielded their faces from the blast as debris and heat blew past them, ruffling their hair and clothes.

"Holy crap!" Naruto exclaimed as the smoke cleared, revealing a small crater. The woman was nowhere in sight.

"Did we kill her?" Hayley said in surprise. She cried out when she was suddenly knocked off her feet, slamming into the dirt. Sasuke was off of her again before Hayley could fully comprehend the fact that Sasuke Uchiha had been that close to her.

Was she _blushing?_

…no. She was just over-heated, she told herself.

"Idiot." He growled, getting back to his feet. Hayley glared at him as she got up, refusing to thank him for saving her life, even as the dark haired woman removed her sword from where Hayley had just been.

"Well," She grinned, slinging her sword on her shoulder. "This is going to be interesting."

---

**Author's Note:**

Gah I'm sorry for ending it there! D: I have been so busy lately, you should all be grateful for just this; I won't be updating for a while, so enjoy it while it lasts!

Review please! ^^

LOSGAP =D

7


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:**

I'm sorry for the cliff-hanger last chapter. This chapter should make up for it though.

Review, ne? =)

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley cried out in rage as a blade grazed her ear, glaring at the woman with the sword.

Summoning her chakra, she threw herself into the woman's mind.

She instantly bombarded with her senses, and blinked in surprise when she realized she knew the woman's name almost instantly; Aoi.

Aoi snarled as her sword whipped around again; Hayley saw where her target was and ducked quickly

_Is this what the sharingan would be like? _She wondered. It was disorienting to see what was going to happen moments before it did; time seemed to speed up as she threw all her energy into the fight.

_What? Who's there? _Aoi's voice demanded wildly and she stood still, staring into space with wide eyes.

_Me you moron! _Hayley mentally shrieked, taking her chance and making a leap for it. Her kunai met Aoi's sword, and Hayley winced at the shriek of metal on metal. She threw her arm up, dragging the sword with it and spinning, kicking the sword out of her hands.

It was nearly impossible to concentrate on not getting herself killed while trying to find a way into the gate in Aoi's mind.

Aoi's mind was racing, clearly terrified at the sudden intrusion in her mind, but she was also trying to concentrate on the fight.

_I don't know how you do this mind-reader, but I _will _kill you! _She thought and Hayley blinked at the sheer malice behind her words. She was really out to kill her.

Hayley suddenly felt sick. She was going to have to kill Aoi if she wanted to live.

_Don't have the stomach for fighting, mind-reader? _Aoi asked in amusement. Hayley swore inwardly. She would have to teach herself how to shield her mind from others when she was in theirs.

_What did I ever do to you? _Hayley wondered, ducking a punch. _Why are you so intent on killing me? Wouldn't severe injuries be enough!? _

_ We all have our orders, mind-reader. _Aoi replied. Despite her efforts not too, a memory flashed through Aoi's mind.

"_You know your orders. Kill the mind reader. You'll know her when you see her. Be gone!" _

Hayley's blood ran cold. She knew that voice. She knew that face.

Orochimaru had ordered her dead.

---

Sibrina panted, her legs trembling beneath her. Sweat beaded on her brow, stinging her eyes as she quickly wiped her face on her sleeve.

_I'm almost out of chakra, and I haven't taken _any _of them out, slippery little buggers! _She thought furiously. She glanced around to see how everyone else was faring, trying to catch her breath.

Sasuke and Naruto were facing the two other men, who seemed more intent on getting to Hayley then they were on Kemuri, who was hiding behind Sakura and Kakashi, whimpering in terror.

Hayley was battling the sword-woman, though she was no longer armed. As Sibrina watched, about to go help her, Hayley's eyes suddenly widened and all the color drained from her face.

The woman took her moment of hesitation quickly and swung her fist, sending Hayley flying where she landed in the dust, her eyes wide and dull as she stared ahead at nothing.

"Hayley!" Sibrina shrieked, taking off towards her as the woman leaned down to pick up her sword.

---

She was dead. She was as good as dead. She didn't care about Aoi anymore. She had just seen the face of the devil himself ordering her death.

Even if she survived these ninjas, there would be more. More powerful ninjas. What if Orochimaru came for her himself?

_What am I going to do? _She wondered bleakly. She stared up as Aoi grinned at her, lifting her sword.

"Say goodbye, mind-reader." She said.

She just looked up at her. She didn't care. He wanted her dead. What had she done? Why was she suddenly deemed unworthy of life?

It all happened so quickly then.

A flash of steel, the gleam of blonde hair, and suddenly Sibrina was standing in between them, the sword in her hands.

"Sibrina?" Hayley asked hoarsely, staring at her. Sibrina's back was to her, but she could see blood running down her arms.

"What the hell are you doing? Get out of here!" Hayley hissed, scrambling up to a sitting position.

"And let you die?" Sibrina demanded. Her shoulders tensed, and Hayley could see Aoi's green eyes widening in fear at whatever expression crossed Sibrina's face as she began to glow.

Warm yellow light flickered around her legs and up her torso, snaking around her arms to her hands.

"_Nobody _tries to kill Hayley!" She hissed, and Hayley cried out in shock as her lightning streaked down Aoi's sword.

Aoi shrieked as the flames engulfed her and she fell writhing to the ground, twisting in agony. The flames dispersed off of Sibrina immediately and she backed up, staring wide-eyed at Aoi.

"Sibrina…" Hayley said softly, rising to her feet as the flames left Aoi, leaving her body lying motionless on the ground.

"I killed her." Sibrina said flatly, her eyes wide.

Hayley put her hand on her shoulder and squeezed, unable to speak or move.

But then Aoi stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

She moaned quietly as she tried to move her arm. "What… ow…"

"Well she's not dead." Hayley remarked.

"Neither are these two." Naruto announced, poking the two unconscious guys sprawled on top of each other.

"It's over?" Hayley said in surprise. "It's over." Sasuke nodded, coming up to look down at Aoi's still form.

"Wow." She blinked. "That was fast."

They all cried out when smoke suddenly engulfed the area and Hayley looked about wildly as the smoke dispersed.

"What the hell?!" Hayley demanded when she realized Aoi and the two men were gone.

---

"Ow." Sibrina flinched as Kakashi wrapped her hands up, frowning at them. "You got cut pretty deep." He said.

"Could we not talk about that? I'm gonna be sick." Hayley complained from where she sat close by.

"Fine. We won't talk about that. You know, I just realized." Kakashi said, tilting his head. "What?" Hayley asked, tilting her head back without realizing it. "You never properly introduced yourselves. You know, told everyone what you like, what you dislike, your dreams…" He trailed off.

"Ah." Hayley nodded. "Why doesn't Sib go first?" She asked, and Sibrina shrugged. "All right. For me, I like the simple things... being with people I care about... having people that treat me with respect- and having people that care about me. It's when someone disrespects those I care about that I dislike. I also dislike when someone gives up on what they have, walk away from the life they have- just too... never mind.... I don't really have that many dreams... for those I had can no longer be achieved..." She stared into the campfire.

"That's deep." Kemuri breathed. Hayley glanced at him, having momentarily forgotten he was still with them.

"Hayley?" Kakashi asked, turning to her. She frowned. "All right. I like food. I don't like emo kids who angst about their problems all the time. I also don't like gutless little homos. My dream is to someday lick my elbow."

"Hayley." Kakashi said reproachfully and Hayley sighed, crossing her arms behind her head and frowning into the fire.

"Hmm. Fine I'll be honest. Though those were all honest answers." She added. She figured she should be honest with her team; they were the people she would have to fight beside after all. They should at least know the basic things about her.

"I like… the smell of rain. I like the way snow glows in moonlight. And people who can make me laugh. I don't like anything that requires numbers. I also don't like people who run away from their problems. My dream? Well, I don't really have much of a dream. I guess my dream would be to help my friends achieve theirs though." She said, leaning back and staring up at the sky, watching the sparks fly into the night.

"Is this the part where we all hold hands and sing?" Hayley asked in amusement when no one spoke for a while, looking around at everyone.

"I'll keep watch first." She offered when still no one spoke. "I'm too wound up to sleep."

Everyone nodded, some murmuring thanks, as they all curled up in their bedrolls.

"Sibrina?" Hayley asked quietly. Sibrina lifted her head, blinking sleepily at her. "Yeah?"

"Thank you." She said softly. Sibrina smiled softly at her. "Anytime." She replied, plopping her head back down. Hayley stood up and walked away to where a boulder was jutting out of the ground and sat down on it, staring up at the night sky.

Orochimaru's chilling words reached her again and she shuddered. Why did he want her dead? Was her ability a threat to him?

_Does he know we don't belong here? _She wondered.

5


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note:**

I know I said I didn't have any free time, but I think I jinxed myself in a good way.

=)

Anyway, this is probably the most important chapter so far. Please pay attention and review when you finish! ^^

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley sighed and scratched her ear, yawning widely.

_Maybe offering to take that first watch was a bad idea… _She thought, blinking sleepily. She wondered who she should wake up next.

_Maybe Sakura? Lord knows she could stand to do something useful around here. _She wondered. Just then, she saw Kemuri sit up. He stared into space, his eyes thoughtful.

"Kemuri?" Hayley asked softly. He glanced over at her. "Why don't you go to sleep?" He suggested. "I'll keep watch."

"You know I can't do that." Hayley replied. "I'm supposed to be guarding you." She said, crossing her arms and stubbornly fighting a yawn.

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that." Kemuri sighed as he stood up. Hayley frowned at him. "I can't stop thinking about what happened today." He said softly. "You all nearly died for me… for a stupid family feud." He scowled, picking up his pack and slinging it over his shoulders. "I can't let you kids die for someone like me. I'm going on my own from here on; it's only another day's travel or so." He said. "Thank you for your protection," He dipped his head to Hayley. "I will always be in your debt." He said softly as he turned away.

"Oh no you don't." Hayley snorted, getting up and hurrying after him. "I'm not letting you go; take one more step and I'll wake up everyone and we'll tie up you if we have to." She said warningly.

"Why don't you come with me then? I know you can take care of yourself; besides, look how tired every one else is. You can walk with me there if you wish, though if a fight happens you should run." He said warningly as Hayley came to his side.

"Fine, fine." She waved a hand. "I can take care of both of us." She said. As they started walking, she looked guiltily over her shoulder at everyone sleeping.

_I should wake one of them up; what if we get ambushed? _She thought wildly. She tried to think logically, and fast; Sibrina was exhausted, and her hands were useless, so she was out. Sakura was useless and annoying; she was out. Naruto didn't know the first thing about sneaking around, and if she tried to get him up at this hour he'd wake up everyone else; Naruto couldn't keep a secret. And Kakashi would do what was right, of course, and drag both their asses back.

That left only one person, much to Hayley's annoyance. Closing her eyes briefly, she slipped into his mind.

_ Sasuke. _She spoke his name softly into his mind. His previously sleeping, dark unconscious stirred at his name and she could feel him waking.

_Kemuri's trying to leave; I'm going with him. In case something goes wrong, could you follow behind? Just in case? _

Sasuke was already alert, though his body remained still, listening to Hayley. _Yeah. _He thought, glad to be doing something productive.

Hayley withdrew from his mind, opening her eyes again before Kemuri could suspect something.

---

Kemuri and Hayley walked in silence for a while, Hayley often checking to see where Sasuke was; his mind was never too far away, close enough to see and hear both of them. She was grateful for his presence; despite hating his guts, she knew Sasuke was one of the best fighters in Konoha, and she was glad he had her back.

"You know, I've been thinking." Kemuri said suddenly and Hayley glanced at him. "Yeah?" She prodded when he didn't go on.

"I'm pretty good at reading people," He said, glancing at her. "And you know what I've noticed? You and that Uchiha boy… you're a lot alike." Hayley stiffened in surprise.

"Really?" She nearly squeaked. She cleared her throat as Kemuri nodded. "Yeah. Like I said, I can read people; I know when something's bugging them. You and Sasuke, you've both got this big, dark cloud hanging over you all the time; you've both got darkness in your hearts." He said, tapping his fist against his chest.

Hayley stared straight ahead, working her jaw, resisting the urge to listen in on Sasuke's mind and find out what he thought of all that.

"Yes, dark hearts… I'm guessing you've both had tragic pasts?" He asked, glancing at her. Hayley shrugged, not responding.

Kemuri stopped and Hayley did too, glancing at him. "What's up?" She asked, a few feet ahead of him.

"I want you to try something." He said. "I want you to read my mind; I'm very curious." He tilted his head. "Besides, when you're in someone's mind, they can see yours, can't they?" He asked and Hayley hesitated, wondering if she should tell him.

"Just do it." Kemuri said, closing his eyes, bracing himself. Hayley sucked in a breath and sent her mind out to Sasuke.

_I've got kind of a bad feeling about this; keep a close eye out, we'll be both vulnerable for a bit. _She told him and felt him nod, somehow silent even in his own mind.

Her eyes still closed, she cautiously entered Kemuri's mind, hoping to just slip in and out.

She shrieked as soon as her chakra slipped into his mind, feeling it burn and writhe in agony as memories and thoughts bombarded her. She dropped to her knees, still screaming as she clutched at her head, trying to make sense of it all.

_What's wrong? _A voice that was not Kemuri's asked softly. _Did I frighten you? _Hayley couldn't speak, trying not to vomit as she struggled to pull herself out of his mind. But he had a death grip on her chakra, holding her fast.

_Open your eyes and see the truth! _He ordered as Hayley shut her eyes tight, wishing someone would kill her so this would end.

It was all coming together; memories of his past were forcing themselves into her head, imprinting on her mind, making her head ache and swim.

Him killing the real Kemuri. Him taking on his body, learning his ways, assuming his memories. Fooling everyone into thinking it was him; all so he could watch her up close, while sending his own fighters to come and attack her, wanting to see how she fared.

It wasn't Kemuri, the man she had come to almost be friends with; she was in Orochimaru's mind.

_I have to kill him! _She thought wildly. But Orochimaru heard her thoughts and crushed them, making her shriek as she collapsed onto her hands, a terrified, pained sob escaping her. His mind was so evil, so strong; hers was so fragile compared to his.

He had never wanted her dead; he had only wanted to test her, to see if she was worthy; and she had passed. Orochimaru wanted her for his own.

She shrieked, her eyes snapping open when something sharp pieced her neck.

_No. _She thought wildly, her entire body shaking with terror as she realized Orochimaru had bitten her. _No!_

_ Soon you will seek me out. _Orochimaru whispered into her mind as he pulled himself out.

"Hayley!" She crumbled to the ground, clutching her neck, unable to stop screaming. She felt him then, crouching next to her, putting a hand cautiously on her shoulder. "Hayley…"

"Sasuke." Hayley's hand searched wildly before it found his and she grabbed it, squeezing it as the agony started anew. Her back arched and her jaws parted in a silent scream before she collapsed against him, shuddering with pain.

"I'm sorry," Sasuke said softly. "I wasn't fast enough."

Hayley couldn't respond, too frantic with pain and terror as she clawed at the cursed seal forming on her neck, her fingers having no effect on it.

Sasuke held her awkwardly as she started to cry, unable to stop herself.

"I'm one of _his_ now… oh God… oh no. No, no…_" _She whimpered, burying herself into Sasuke's shoulder, trying to hide from the world, from reality.

"I know." Sasuke said softly. Despite everything, she realized the only reason Sasuke would even be trying to comfort her right now was that he knew exactly what agony and confusion she was in.

_No… _Her thoughts flickered like a candle in the wind as her struggles eased, leaving her panting and breathless as she slumped against Sasuke. The pain faded, leaving only a cruel nothingness in it's wake.

"What am I going to do?" She whispered into the darkness, unable to find the strength to open her eyes and look up at Sasuke.

"I don't know," Sasuke replied softly as Hayley allowed herself to drift away into the warm nothingness "I don't know."

---

She didn't know how long it was before she woke up; all she knew was that it didn't hurt to be awake; it was finally safe to come back.

Opening her eyes cautiously, she realized she was moving. Wind stirred her hair and she blinked sleepily, turning her head as she tried to get her bearings.

"You're awake." Sasuke said, glancing at her. She blinked, startled at how close his eyes were as she jerked her head back.

She looked around wildly, realizing she was on Sasuke's back, her arms around his neck and they were moving fast through the trees.

She looked around her, realizing they were alone.

"No one's seen you." Sasuke said quietly and she turned her head around to look at him. His eyes landed on her neck and she blinked. "Oh." She said softly, closing her eyes as she laid her head back on his shoulder. How would she explain this to Sibrina?

"I told them we got ambushed and that Kemuri ran off on his own free will but you were injured; I'm taking you back to your apartment to rest." He said.

Hayley nodded, staring dully ahead. She had been bitten by the beast; her mind was still trying to accept it.

"They're heading back too; I'd lay low for a few days, pretend to be really injured. I don't know how you're going to cover it up though." He said.

Hayley just blinked at him. "Why are you being so nice?" She asked softly. Sasuke's eyes hardened slightly.

"Because no one should have to go through this alone." He replied quietly. Hayley closed her eyes, realizing he was talking about himself.

"It's going to hurt again. A lot. It'll always take you by surprise." Sasuke said softly after a minute. Hayley flinched, remembering the agony of last night.

"The nightmares start right away," His voice was barely a whisper. "You won't sleep peacefully; the nightmares will drive you insane." His eyes closed briefly before they snapped open again. He didn't speak after that, lost in thought.

"Thank you." Hayley said quietly. "For everything."

_For being there. For holding my hand. For not abandoning me. For trying to comfort me. _

Sasuke didn't respond, staring straight ahead. He didn't speak again.

---

Sasuke somehow managed to sneak her into her apartment late the next night with no one seeing them; she supposed they looked like two hormonally crazed teenagers to anyone who may have glimpsed them, him carrying her to her apartment, both of them trying to avoid suspicion.

She kept her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, his arms keeping her securely to him as he carried her into the apartment. He looked around with amusement. "_This _is where you live?"

"Yes." Hayley sniffed defensively. He was clearly amused at the purple kitchen, and the glittery curtain he had to walk through to her to her sky-blue room.

He gently lowered her onto the large, matching bed, located next to a window that afforded her a view of a street and some buildings; not exactly a great view, but if you squinted she claimed you could see the four Hokages.

Hayley's eyes drooped as she curled up, not getting under the covers. Sasuke started to leave, but stopped when she called his name softly. He turned around, looking at her curiously.

"…will the nightmares be bad?" She asked softly after a minute, looking at him out of the corners of her eye. She could just barely see his black coal eyes soften slightly. "Yes. They'll be terrible."

She sweat dropped. "Way to sugar coat it." She muttered.

He turned to go again, but again she called him back. She hesitated, resisting the urge to poke her fingers together.

"…could you stay? Just a little longer?" She asked quietly, staring at her hands. She'd never been so terrified in her entire life; she didn't want to spend the night alone.

"If anyone sees me leaving tomorrow morning, rumors will spread." Sasuke pointed out.

"You know me; do you _really _think I give a shit?" Hayley asked. Sasuke blinked in mild amusement. "True." He agreed.

Hayley scooted over and looked up at him. "Please?" She asked. He didn't move, frowning at her disapprovingly. She was surprised he didn't just roll his eyes and leave when she had asked the first time.

"I don't want to be alone." She said quietly. She felt very vulnerable and exposed, saying something like that; she let Sasuke see that she was scared; no, terrified. She was having trouble keeping herself from shaking.

Sasuke finally just sighed. "This is incredibly indecent of you." He said warningly as he approached the foot of the bed.

"It was incredibly indecent of Orochimaru to stick his teeth in my neck." Hayley snapped. A flicker of pain crossed his features for a brief moment.

"I won't tell anyone; the fan girls would kill me." She pointed out. Sasuke blinked, quiet amusement flickering in his black eyes. "…all right. I'll stay."

7


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:**

Happy Valentine's Day all! I'm in a lovey-dovey mood so expect a wee bit of fluff/romance. If anyone on here has read my previous stories, you know how much I adore my fluff :3

LOSGAP =D

* * *

She had fully expected to wake up humiliated in the morning, feeling like a total whore for asking Sasuke to spend the night. She'd also expected he would have snuck out sometime while she was asleep; she hadn't known if she believed he would actually stay, or that the nightmares would be as bad as Sasuke had warned her.

They were worse. They were so much worse then she had believed.

She awoke with a start, realizing she was screaming. The dark tendrils of her nightmare still clung to her mind as she looked around wildly, not seeing where she was. She felt hands on her and shied away; they were not friendly hands, they were _his _hands. Terrified, she shrank into her pillow and bit back a whimper of fright.

She lay panting for a moment, looking around and realizing she was in her apartment. She relaxed, letting out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, closing her eyes.

"It was just a dream." A familiar voice said and she blinked, raising her head. She hoped Sasuke couldn't see how bright red she was, considering she had forgotten she'd fallen asleep with him.

"Sorry." She muttered, unsure of where to put her head now. It had previously been on Sasuke himself, but putting it back there seemed awkward.

"I thought this was the reason you asked me to stay." Sasuke asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

Hayley blinked, and then sweat dropped. "Wow, this is so weird. You being in my bed."

"You asked me to stay here." Sasuke pointed out. "I know, but still…"

_I'm actually glad I didn't have to wake up alone though. _She admitted silently.

He just sighed in quiet amusement as he leaned back to look up at her ceiling.

Hayley hesitated a moment before finally returning back to her original position, resting her head on his chest and curling up close to him.

She stared off into space, out the window and into the sleeping city, looking at the stars, as was her habit. She tried to ignore the remnants of the nightmare fluttering in her mind like dark butterflies as she tried to focus on anything else. She focused instead on the steady rise and falls of Sasuke's chest beneath her, and tried to slow her own breathing to match it.

"Are you asleep?" She asked into the dark a while later. "No. I haven't slept yet." Sasuke replied.

"You haven't?" Hayley asked in surprise. "No."

"Wow." Hayley said in surprise. It had to be at least two in the morning, and Sasuke had barely slept for the past few days; Hayley had only slipped in and out of unconsciousness, never actually sleeping.

She didn't ask why he hadn't slept; she had been surprised she'd fallen asleep so easily.

"…you're going to Orochimaru, aren't you?" Hayley asked softly after a moment. Sasuke didn't reply.

"Are you scared?" Hayley whispered, lifting her head to look at him. His eyes were distant as he looked at her, seeming to look straight through her and into the distance. "Are you?" He replied.

Hayley hesitated. She was terrified out of her wits; if Sasuke wasn't here to keep her calm, she would have driven herself insane with fear. She avoided his eyes.

"Not an easy question, is it?" He said as she put her head back down. "It is; just not an easy answer." Hayley replied.

---

Neither of them slept that night; they spoke quietly occasionally, about nothing and everything. Hayley would sometimes ask random questions she pulled out of the air, but would suddenly turn serious. Sasuke never asked questions of his own, and didn't always reply; she would often find herself babbling to fill the empty silence.

They watched the sun rise in silence, Hayley wishing she could think of something witty and clever to say but falling short. She couldn't stop thinking about the seal, and Sibrina. What was she going to do? She couldn't hide it from her.

"Do you hear that?" Sasuke murmured and Hayley blinked, raising her head. She tilted her head, listening carefully. It sounded like running footsteps.

Casting her mind out, she felt for the source of the running and quickly identified it.

"Sibrina's coming! Quick, get into a comprising position!" She exclaimed, rolling over. Sasuke barely had time to let out a muffled "What?" before Hayley straddled him, throwing the blankets off. "What the hell are you doing?"

"It's called a distraction." Hayley replied, grinning down at him. "You're crazy." He snorted just as the door flew open.

"What the heck?! You run off with that creeper Kemuri in the middle of the night with Sasuke and get yourself hurt?!" Sibrina exclaimed, storming in. She stopped, blinking at them. Hayley stared with wide-eyed innocence at the blonde.

"We weren't doing anything!" She exclaimed as Sibrina slowly backed out of the room; if Hayley knew her friend at all, she assumed she was going to make sure she was in the correct apartment.

"She'll be back in ten seconds to castrate you." Hayley said, climbing off of Sasuke, who had somehow resisted the urge to show expression during the whole exchange.

"SASUKE!"

"You're dead now." Hayley said warningly as she glanced out the window, wondering if a fall from that height would kill her; anything would be better then facing Sibrina's wrath. "HAYLEY!"

"…shit."

---

After sending Sasuke home with an over the top sultry look and a husky "Thanks for last night", Hayley sat on the edge of the bed while Sibrina paced in front of her, feeling like a scolded child.

"You had me worried sick! I thought something was actually wrong, and I come home to find you molesting _Sasuke!" _Sibrina exclaimed.

"I wasn't molesting him! It was consensual!" Hayley protested.

"You were practically raping him! He looked terrified!"

"How did he look terrified?! He wears the same expression all the time!" Hayley shouted, throwing her hands up in the air. Sibrina stopped pacing and frowned at her. She tilted her head, looking concerned. Hayley often yelled at her friend, but only in play; Hayley was literally shaking, her fists clenched. She wasn't angry with Sibrina (she was actually rather amused with it all) but she knew any second now she was going to notice the seal on her neck.

"What happened? Honestly?" Sibrina asked, sitting down on the bed beside her. "I asked Sasuke to stay," Hayley admitted, deciding to not tell her right away about why they'd come home early. Sibrina tilted her head curiously. "Why? And why the heck did he actually stay? Did you knock him out or something?" Hayley looked at her friend in mock annoyance. "Who says I need to knock a guy out to get him to spend the night?" She sniffed, tossing her hair.

"But why?" Sibrina pressed. Hayley bit her lip. "Because I was scared." She admitted softly. Sibrina frowned. "Why…?" Her eyes suddenly landed on Hayley's neck and she froze. All the color drained out of her face and she raised a trembling hand to her lips. "Is that…?" Her voice was strained. Hayley lifted her hand and placed it over the seal.

"It is. He got me, Sibs." She said quietly. Sibrina's hand tightened over her mouth as tears flooded her brown eyes. "Don't cry," Hayley begged even as Sibrina threw herself at Hayley, wrapping her arms around her in a tight, crushing hug. Hayley closed her eyes, fighting her own tears.

---

"You're not gonna go with him, are you?" Sibrina asked later that night at dinner.

"Of course not." Hayley snorted. Sibrina looked at her friend, her eyes worried. "Why would I go with Pervy Hebi?" Hayley said in amusement.

"But the seal…" Sibrina trailed off. Hayley tilted her head at Sibrina. "What about it? I can fight it." She said, taking a bite. Sibrina bit her lip, remembering how it had nearly destroyed Sasuke's body. What would happen if Hayley tried to fight it?

"So… do you like Sasuke now?" She asked casually after a minute of awkward silence. Hayley choked on her food and it took her a few minutes to recover.

"WHAT?!"

"He saved your life." Sibrina pointed out, pointing her chopsticks at her. Hayley flushed. "No he didn't!"

Sibrina raised her eyebrows at her and Hayley scowled. "You slept together. I think you like him." She snorted.

"I don't like emo boys," Hayley snorted. "Please. You fell for him the second you saw him. I distinctly remember you squealing about how much you loved him." Sibrina said in amusement.

"That was after he almost died protecting Naruto!" Hayley protested. "You know I'm a sucker for guys who do things like that!"

"I also remember him pushing you out of the way a few days ago before you got killed." Sibrina snorted. Hayley blushed even deeper, if that was possible.

"Well I stopped liking him the second he was all 'I'm an avenger!'" She said, clapping her chopsticks to emphasize her point.

"His family was massacred; it's understandable that he went a bit crazy." Sibrina pointed out. "Massacred by your lover." Hayley teased.

"Wow. We both fell for Uchiha boys." Sibrina said, her eyes wide.

"And they're both crazy." Hayley pointed out. "And I didn't fall for Sasuke!"

"Sure you didn't."

5


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note:**

I quite enjoyed this chapter :3

Hopefully for you Naru-tards you'll start getting an idea of where in the plotline everybody is. ^^

Yes I got all fan-girly about the horse in here. XD I'm sorry.

Review, yes?

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley hid out in her apartment for a few days, pretending to be actually hurt, while Sibrina went off on various missions with Team 7, leaving Hayley behind, seething with envy.

Apparently Konoha had a shortage in ninja or something, as Sibrina and everyone had to do some really shitty missions; walking dogs, finding lost cats, etc. Sibrina didn't mind though.

Finally, Hayley couldn't take it anymore and announced a miraculous recovery almost a week after returning home.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sibrina asked warningly as Hayley packed her bag. She held up a tub of concealer and grinned. "Of course!"

She slathered it on her neck, looking at herself in the mirror as she rubbed it carefully on. Soon, the mark was invisible.

"I can't believe that worked." Sibrina said in surprise, just as the make-up melted off her neck, dripping onto the floor.

"Oh EW!" Hayley exclaimed, dancing backwards from the suddenly liquid, molten make-up.

"I stand corrected." Sibrina sighed. "Now what are you going to do?" Hayley frowned, pursing her lips in thought. Suddenly her blue-grey eyes brightened. "Aha!" She reached up and removed the headband and tied it around her neck. The dark blue cloth of the headband rested over the seal, hiding it completely.

"Oh good." Sibrina breathed in relief. "Could have been some awkward questions," She said. Suddenly Hayley frowned. "Is Kakashi going to have to seal this thing or whatever he did to Sasuke?" She asked. Sibrina shrugged.

"Ugh I hope not." Hayley's nose wrinkled. "I'm not a boy; I can't just rip my shirt off at my leisure. Well, I guess I could, but I'm not a whore."

"Says the girl who invited Sasuke into her bed."

"Oi! That was different!"

"Certainly looked suspicious when I came in…"

---

"So another boring mission, eh?" Hayley complained, lolling her head back to groan to the sky.

"It's not as boring as some have been," Sibrina reminded her. "Dude, we're going to be _farm hands _for two days. Awe. Some." Hayley sighed in annoyance.

"Stop complaining." Sasuke snorted, since he was closest. Sakura and Naruto were out of hearing distance with Kakashi, since they knew Hayley would whine. Sasuke was just too lazy to walk faster.

"It's not as far though, only a day's walk. And quite frankly, I'm glad for a slow mission like this; the last one was a little too fast-paced for me." Sibrina said. A tense silence fell on the group, Sasuke clearly wondering how much Sibrina knew.

"Relax. She knows everything." Hayley said quietly, glancing at the Uchiha boy, who gave no indication he had heard.

"We're here!" Kakashi called back. "Oh joy." Hayley grumbled.

---

"I. Hate. Animals!" Sakura roared, storming past, smelling like cow manure.

Hayley cackled evilly to herself, grinning as she continued grooming the bay horse in front of her.

Since she had expressed interest in horses (as in, jumping up and down and squealing "horses?! YAY!" when they were mentioned) she had been assigned to care for them, along with Sibrina. She wasn't quite as enthusiastic, but she was glad to be doing… well, what everyone else wasn't doing.

Naruto got the fun task of herding some goats into a barn, who managed to outsmart him repeatedly (they were fainting goats; whenever he yelled, they all dropped like stones, which never failed to scare him into thinking he'd killed them all). Sakura got milking duty, and quickly found farm life was not for her; Sasuke, most amusing of all, got chicken duty. The chickens would follow happily along behind him wherever he went, much to his confusion and annoyance; Hayley told him it was probably because he looked like one of them from the rear, which of course got her glares from Sakura and Sasuke and laughter from Naruto. Nobody really knew what Kakashi was doing.

She was pretty sure she'd gotten the sweetest part of the deal; suddenly two days seemed impossibly fast, if she got to spend it with horses.

Horses had always been Hayley's obsession; ever since she was about seven, they had captivated her. They were a window into the better part of her childhood; she had leased horses for a while. Just being next to one reminded her of better days.

She finished grooming the horse and leaned her head into his shoulder, inhaling his horse-y scent.

_I wonder… _She thought, closing her eyes and entering the horses' mind.

_Er… hi? _Hayley thought awkwardly. The horse raised his head.

_Food? _He questioned, tilting his head.

_Uh not right now. _Hayley apologized. The horse snorted and returned to grazing.

Hayley sighed, with drawing from his mind.

_Well, that went well…_

[A/N: Yes, I think that'd be all a horse had to say if I ever got to talk with one. Lol.]

---

It took Hayley all that day to realize she was being stalked.

She paused just inside the stable door and frowned.

"Oi, Sasuke." She said flatly. Sasuke, who had been leaning against the side of the barn wall, staring off into space, came inside.

"Why are you following me?" Hayley asked, turning around and crossing her arms. He was silent, and Hayley watched in amusement as a chicken poked its head around the door to gaze at Sasuke adoringly.

"Don't make me get in your head and find out myself," Hayley said warningly. Sasuke blinked at her. "It's around the right time for the seal to act up." He replied. Hayley raised her eyebrows. Sasuke was… _worried?_

"Oh." She said, her hand lifting to land on her shoulder absentmindedly. The chicken at the door, its attention span lasting but two seconds, wandered off to peck at the dirt.

"Just making sure I don't go berserk and massacre all your loyal chicken followers?" She asked in amusement. Sasuke almost smiled. Almost. The shadow of a smile flickered across his face but was gone quickly, like a glimpse of the sun on a stormy day.

"I'll be fine. Go tend to your fans." Hayley said, shooing him off. Sasuke just blinked and walked away, though Hayley doubted he would never be too far. Oddly, she was comforted by that fact.

---

"Has anyone seen Hayley?" Kakashi asked the next morning, tilting his head at the empty place at the breakfast table. It was odd for Hayley to miss a meal.

"I haven't." Sibrina shrugged, betting Hayley was either still asleep or out with the horses.

"Oh I saw her; she's out on a suicide mission." Renji, the only farmhand (the others were all away on holiday) left said, grinning wickedly.

"What did she do?" Sibrina sighed, already tallying up how much money she had; heaven only knew how much Hayley's latest antic would cost her.

"I bet her a thousand yen she couldn't touch this insane horse on the farm; he almost killed me yesterday." Renji explained, frowning briefly.

"What?!" Sakura and Naruto exclaimed. "She took the bet?!"

"Of course she did." Sibrina sighed, setting down her chopsticks. "It's Hayley after all. I'm sure she's fine though." She said when everyone stared at her like she was crazy for remaining calm.

"…I'm gonna go see Hayley get knocked on her ass." Naruto grinned, jumping up. Sakura wasn't too far behind her (probably still sore about Hayley laughing at her when she got knocked into a pile of cow manure).

"Well, let's go." Sibrina sighed, standing up and heading outside, Sasuke and Kakashi not too far behind.

Sibrina almost swore the second she stepped outside, having not realized it was raining.

Rain pounded down on the earth from angry black clouds, swirling overhead. She tipped her head back and blinked up at the rain, wondering how Hayley was faring in this muck with an angry horse.

"Hey," Kakashi asked, tilting his head suddenly at Renji. "What's this horses' name?" He asked. It was an odd, random question, though Sibrina wasn't surprised by it somehow. Renji grinned. "Back-Breaker."

"Sounds like a sweetheart," Sibrina grumbled, marching off through the rain after Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto, presumably to the horse corral.

The first thing Sibrina noticed was the horse; a fiery chestnut stallion, he stormed in circles around the corral, neighing to the storm, shaking his head as he bucked and ran. Sibrina was instantly worried, even though she was safely on the other side of the fence. Back-Breaker let out a bugling challenge to the newcomers as he charged the fence where they had gathered. He stood there a moment, wild-eyed, nostrils flaring, his crimson mane billowing in the wind. The narrow stripe of white on his face glowed in the watery light of the storm.

"Get moving!" Sibrina's attention was ripped from the beautiful, insane horse, to Hayley. She was standing in the center of the corral, her hair whipping wildly around her, but she seemed oddly calm. She ran at Back-Breaker, throwing her arms at him as though to shoo him.

"She'll be killed!" Sakura exclaimed, sounding both terrified and giddy. Beside her, Sasuke tensed ever so slightly as Back-Breaker whirled and charged Hayley.

Hayley called his bluff and charged back; her hair blew back from the speed of his charge as he swept past, snorting and shaking his head as he continued circling the corral at a mad pace.

_She's even crazier then they thought,_ Sibrina thought in amusement as she glanced at the others, all shaking their heads in bewilderment.

Hayley, somehow calm and in control, even as the rain pounded all around her, turned in a circle, always keeping eye contact with Back-Breaker.

"Always knew she had a few screws loose," Naruto muttered. "Hush. She knows what she's doing." Sibrina reprimanded him, remembering a story Hayley had told her long ago about her sister, who had tamed a horse just like this.

_"You have to make them come to you, see. It's all herd logic. Chase the horse out of your herd, and soon he'll realize you're his only option. He'll submit to you as his leader; simple, right?" _Hayley's words came back to her clearly.

She hadn't expected this process, called "join-up", to be so scary though. Hayley would charge Back-Breaker whenever he slowed or made a move towards her; each time Sibrina's breath would catch.

The change in Back-Breaker was gradual; it took Sibrina a moment to notice him lowering his head as his wild charges slowed into an uneasy canter, his ears twitching towards her.

"She's almost done," Sibrina murmured. Back-Breaker's nose was inches above the ground as he slowed to a nervous trot.

She didn't understand the sign that Hayley had been waiting for, but she knew it had to have been the fact that Back-Breaker was suddenly licking his lips, one ear pointed towards her.

And then Hayley did something that made Naruto cover his eyes.

She turned her back on the insane horse.

Instead of attacking her, like they all thought he would, Back-Breaker came to a halt. His breath huffed out, steam puffing out of his nostrils as he stared at Hayley.

"Wait for it." Sibrina breathed.

Slowly, step by step, Back-Breaker approached Hayley. Everyone's jaws dropped when his nose touched her shoulder and he nuzzled her gently.

"I don't believe it!" Naruto exclaimed as Hayley smiled, walking away, Back-Breaker always a step behind, following her around the ring.

"You owe me a thousand yen," Hayley grinned, trotting over to Renji, Back-Breaker right behind her.

---

Sibrina and the others went back to their duties, except for Hayley, who was arguing with Renji about Back-Breaker and how to properly train him. Sibrina had gotten chicken duty, much to her and the chicken's displeasure.

She wiped a hand down her face, trying to calm herself. The stupid, brainless birds just wouldn't get in the coop; she'd been out here in the rain for two hours with no luck.

"Need help?" She looked behind her to where Sasuke was leaning casually against the stable wall. "Please?" Sibrina begged and Sasuke smirked slightly as he came over.

He walked right past her and she saw the chickens all glance up, then start trotting after him.

_He's the Pied Piper of chickens. _Sibrina thought, both impressed and amused as the chickens went right into the coop for him.

"That's creepy." She remarked as he came back over to her. He shrugged. "Well, thanks. Now I've got to go milk some cows before Sakura kills them all," she said, grimacing. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, Sibrina wondering if Sasuke wanted to say something.

"Well… see you." She said awkwardly as she turned to leave.

"Sibrina." She paused when he spoke her name and she glanced over her shoulder at him. He was silent a moment, before he finally spoke. "…is she always that reckless?"

It took Sibrina a moment to realize he was talking about Hayley and her stunt with Back-Breaker.

"I wouldn't say 'reckless'," She said carefully. Then she smiled. "I like to think of her as… fearless."

6


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:**

Lots more drama this chapter :D And action. ^^

Hope you enjoy, and please review?

LOSGAP =D

* * *

"Oi, where is everyone?" Hayley asked, yawning as she stumbled into the kitchen. Only Sasuke and Sibrina were at the table.

"Kakashi got called back to Konoha for another mission. He took Sakura and Naruto with." Sibrina explained.

"Oh." Hayley blinked. "So we're heading home alone then?" She asked. Sibrina nodded.

"Ok." She shrugged. "Fine with me I guess. Though I must admit that wasn't smart of Kakashi, leaving people as irresponsible as us alone without adult supervision."

"I'm not irresponsible." Sibrina snorted. Hayley arched an eyebrow as she sat down beside her. "Says the girl who destroys things when she's bored."

Sibrina flushed and didn't reply.

"Can I be in charge then?" Hayley asked. "No. I vote Sasuke's in charge. He doesn't have ADHD." Sibrina pointed out. "Or splodey powers." Hayley retorted, looking at Sibrina pointedly.

"What do you want us to do, O' master?" She asked, looking at Sasuke, who just blinked at her and returned to his breakfast.

"Men." Hayley snorted.

---

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Ok. …how about now?"

"Still no."

"Now?"

"No."

"Oh…now?"

This time Hayley got no response from Sasuke, who was in the lead for their trek through the woods back to Konoha.

She was so _bored_. And quite frankly she missed being with horses already. She wondered if the chickens missed Sasuke.

Hayley had to resist the urge to poke Sasuke (he was getting quieter and quieter, like a storm before it exploded in all it's fury) so she was wary. Instead she settled to singing bits of songs she knew and combining them all into one never-ending medley of random lyrics.

She knew she was bugging Sibrina and Sasuke, but decided she didn't care.

So she wasn't that surprised when Sibrina suddenly tackled her to the ground, and merely allowed herself to fall over into the dirt.

"You could have just told me to shut up." She pointed out, her words muffled by the ground.

But Sibrina didn't listen, getting up in a flash. Hayley glanced up to see her standing protectively in front of Hayley, her kunai drawn.

Hayley was up in an instant, drawing her own. She stared in shock at the two men emerging from the trees, one with a kunai, looking disappointed he'd missed her.

"What the hell? It's you two!" Hayley spat, coming to stand beside Sibrina and Sasuke.

She recognized the two men instantly; they were the on the same squad as Aoi, the team that had been sent to kill her.

"Glad to see you recognize us," One of them said, grinning, his teeth bright white against his tan skin. "Where's Ao… uh, the girl?" Hayley asked, glancing around.

"She's still recovering from whatever this one did to her," One of the men said, glaring at Sibrina. "She practically set her blood on fire!" Sibrina's eyes widened.

"But anyway," Hayley said before Sibrina could fully comprehend the fact she had a talent other then just blowing things up, "why are you back? Didn't we whoop your asses hard enough last time?"

"We still have a job to do, and we intend to complete it." Hayley swallowed hard, steeling herself. She knew what this meant; they would always come back for her until they were dead. This had to end.

She didn't wait for any command, and merely lunged; probably a stupid idea. It usually worked out for Naruto though, so she thought, "What the hell?" and dove for the closest man.

Her kunai clashed against his and she used the momentum to drive herself backwards, kicking out. He caught her ankles though before she could kick him and she whirled, trying to punch him. He caught her fist and grinned at her. "Nice try kid."

Hayley smirked at him and threw herself at his mind.

Hiroyuki. That was his name. She knew it the moment she entered his mind and searched for the gate.

But he fought her every step of the way; he had probably been warned by Aoi of her powers. They both stood motionless while the other man, Sibrina and Sasuke battled around them, locked in a battle of minds.

She didn't expect Hiroyuki to be so strong though; he overpowered her by sheer force and drove her out of his mind, sending her reeling. She stumbled backwards and fell. He was upon her in an instant, his eyes alight with bloodlust.

They both shrieked when lightning struck the ground in between them, barely missing Hayley.

She scrambled backwards, waiting for the smoke to clear for Hiroyuki to reappear. Sibrina had scorched his front; he had leaped backwards just in time to avoid death. His shirt was torn and charred, smoking slightly. The reek of burnt hair and skin filled the air.

"Sibrina! Save your bolts for the other guy!" Hayley called. She noticed Sibrina was trembling, and wondered how many bolts she'd already fired; she looked pale and weak Sasuke was locked in combat with the other man, while she stood behind everything and tried to recover.

Hayley ached to try and help her friend, but she knew she had to defeat Hiroyuki before anything could happen to her or Sasuke.

_Damn it, where's the rest of the team when I need them most? _She thought bitterly as she charged Hiroyuki, throwing herself into his mind.

Seeing the shadow of his movements just before he made them was disorienting; her head spun and everything swam before her eyes, but it was just enough to keep her alive.

_I'm not strong enough to beat this guy, _She thought wildly as she ducked yet another blow, gritting her teeth. _Damn it! Why can I never protect _anyone?

Behind her, Sibrina cried out and Hayley turned to see her crumble, the other man just behind her. Hayley was about to go after him but Sasuke took over; she had already made a crucial mistake though. She'd turned her back on Hiroyuki to see what was happening.

She shrieked as he enveloped her in his arms and crushed her to his chest, as though in a hug. She struggled and kicked as he tried to keep a grip on her and pull out his kunai at the same time.

Everything happened so quickly then, it was hard to keep track of everything.

Sasuke staggered from a blow to the head, dropping to his knees as he shook his head, his eyes dazed. Hayley tried to call his name just as she felt the blade of the kunai at her throat.

"This," He whispered in her ear, making her skin crawl. "Is for Aoi."

---

Sibrina tried to push herself off the ground, but her arms trembled and she collapsed again, only able to watch helplessly as Sasuke fell. Blood splashed on the ground in front of her and she shrieked, realizing it was Hayley's.

Hayley's eyes were wide with surprise as she fell, seemingly in slow motion, blood spurting out of her neck as she crumbled onto her side.

"Hayley!" Sibrina shrieked, trying to get up again, summon some chakra, _anything. _

A boot landed on her head and she gasped, falling forward.

"What should we do with these two?" The man above her asked; he was the one who had hurt Hayley, who was lying motionless, bleeding into the dust.

A surge of fury enveloped her and she struggled, only to have him press her face into the mud. She could barely see the man pick up Sasuke by his shirt collar, who struggled weakly, still dazed from the blow to the head. She looked at the man and realized he had metal arm plates; no wonder Sasuke was nearly unconscious, one blow from those to the head could kill someone.

"Might as well kill them, can't have these two coming after us for vengeance or anything." The man holding Sasuke shrugged.

The hair on the back of Sibrina's neck prickled, both at his words and at the sudden change of electricity in the air.

She lifted her head weakly, trying to see what was going on and realized Hayley was slowly rising to her feet.

Her eyes widened at the purple chakra swirling around her and she paled. The seal was taking over.

Sasuke's struggles ceased and he stared at Hayley, his eyes wide.

"What the hell?" The man above Sibrina demanded in shock. Her throat had stopped bleeding, the gash healing over; Hayley's skin was covered with black patches like Sasuke's had been, as the purple chakra continued to swirl. She blinked in shock when she saw Hayley's eyes. Her pupils had disappeared, as had all the gray pigment in her eyes; they were now a piercing, icy blue, devoid of all expression.

Sibrina's blood chilled.

She blinked, and Hayley was suddenly beside her. Her eyes widened as the weight on her back lifted and she scrambled out of Hayley's way, terrified.

Hayley had the large man by the neck, holding him up. His feet dangled several inches above the ground.

"Sibrina," Hayley asked quietly. "Did he hurt you?" Sibrina just stared, unable to respond. Hayley looked at her with those chilling eyes and Sibrina suddenly realized she could probably read her thoughts.

_Yes, _Hayley's voice whispered into her mind. _I can read everyone's mind. _She turned back to the man and smiled chillingly.

"This," She whispered. "Is for Sibrina."

The man shrieked and clawed at her hands, choking and gasping. Sibrina's eyes widened in horror at the sudden _snap! _as the man went limp. Hayley tossed him aside like garbage and stared at the man holding Sasuke.

"Hiroyuki?" The man whimpered, staring at the body on the ground. He dropped Sasuke and turned to run, but Hayley started after him.

Sasuke, who was kneeling on the ground, coughing, grabbed her wrist as she passed him. He stared up at her, panting as he clutched at his throat with one hand. His eyes were hard.

Hayley stared at him with those blank eyes and said nothing. Sibrina wondered if they were having a silent conversation in their heads.

Then she turned and began to walk after the other man, her steps determined. Sasuke struggled up to his feet and chased her, and Sibrina's eyes widened as he finally caught her.

_He's doing what Sakura did for him! _She realized, startled, as he caught up to her, his arms wrapped firmly around her, making Hayley freeze.

She couldn't see Hayley's expression, or hear what Sasuke said, but they stood like that for about a minute. Then, just like in the anime, the purple chakra stopped, and the black patches disappeared. Hayley went limp, Sasuke catching her with ease.

He scooped her up and placed her on her back with an ease that suggested he had done it before. Hayley's arms dangled limply over his chest, her eyes closed as her head fell against the back of his neck. He walked up to Sibrina, looking more tired then she had ever seen him.

"Let's go." He said quietly. Sibrina hesitated, glancing at Hiroyuki.

"He's dead." Sasuke said softly. "Let his friend come back for him. It's not our place to take his body." He said. Sibrina nodded and staggered to her feet, her legs trembling. She would have to train a lot more to find out her limits; sometimes she could go as far as three bolts, but today she'd barely managed two.

Feeling as exhausted as Sasuke looked, she turned and followed slowly behind him.

5


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:**

More fluff, less drama this chapter. :3

Thanks so much to everyone who's been reviewing, you guys mean the world to me! ^^

Please keep them coming! Enjoy the chapter :D

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley stared out the window, her eyes dull, her face expressionless.

She had awoken from her unconscious state, having remained in it for two days; she had woken early that morning and had yet to leave her bed.

All she could see was Hiroyuki's terrified eyes; all she could hear was that sickening crunch of his neck as he went limp, his last breath escaping him in a terrified gasp.

She had killed a man with her bare hands.

A shudder ripped her body and she closed her eyes. No, no, it hadn't happened. It couldn't have. She was just a girl, without a mean bone in her body; how could she have killed someone? Worse, how could she have… enjoyed it?

Her skin crawled as she remembered how much she had been thrilled to see the purple chakra, how it had filled her with glee as she looked at her skin, mottled with black whorls and spirals over her skin in no recognizable pattern. Finally, she could protect those she loved. She wasn't helpless anymore.

She fought the urge to be sick as she buried her face in her hands, shuddering again. She had even enjoyed the act of killing; finally, _she_ wielded the power. She was no longer defenseless.

Tears escaped between her fingers as she rubbed her eyes, trying to remove the image of Hiroyuki's glazed, lifeless eyes, forever burned into her brain.

_What have I become? _

---

"Hayley?" Sibrina asked softly, pushing the sparkling blue curtain aside. Hayley made no reply. She was lying curled into a ball on her bed, hugging a pillow to her chest, staring out the window.

There were only two ways to tell when Hayley was upset; one, she got quiet. Another was that she stopped eating.

Hayley hadn't spoken or eaten for the past two days.

"Hayley, you have to eat something." Sibrina said quietly. "You're going to starve to death."

"I don't care." Hayley replied, not looking up. "I care." Sibrina replied, coming to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Why should you?" Hayley asked. "You saw what I did."

"Hayley, you were defending us and yourself. No one can blame you." Sibrina pointed out. Hayley closed her eyes, and Sibrina had a feeling she was hiding something.

"It's going to happen again." Hayley whispered. "We both saw what happens to Sasuke… this thing's going to kill me, and hurt a lot of people. Maybe it's better if I just waste away now." Hayley murmured.

"Don't say things like that!" Sibrina exclaimed. "You're really scaring me Hayley… we can get through this. You won't hurt anyone again, I know you." She said and Hayley finally turned to her. "Do you?" She asked softly.

---

Sibrina groaned and flopped back onto the ground, scowling at the target. She hadn't hit it with her shuriken even once.

_How am I supposed to train when Hayley's still like that? _She wondered. Hayley had insisted she go train today; it had been her first spark of herself in a while, her old stubbornness, and Sibrina had reluctantly agreed to leave, if only to feed that flame burning in her eyes again.

She sighed in annoyance at the large pile of shuriken on the ground beside the target and stood, going to retrieve them and try again.

---

There was a knock outside Hayley's door and she groaned, rolling over. "Come on Sibs, you've only been gone an hour!" She exclaimed, just as Sasuke walked in. She blinked. "Creeper. You broke into my apartment?"

He held up a key. "Sibrina told me to check on you."

"Oh." Hayley blinked. _I'm going to kill her for sending him to come check on me. _She thought furiously. She stared at Sasuke, realizing he'd brought on an emotion she hadn't felt for a while; she hadn't felt a thing except an aching, empty hole in her chest and the depression that accompanied it.

As odd as the brief flicker of annoyance had felt, she was glad to feel it.

"So… what do you want?" Hayley asked, leaning against her pillow and looking at him. He just blinked at her. "You haven't gotten out of bed, have you?" He asked and Hayley flushed. Another emotion? Maybe Sasuke's visit hadn't been as bad of an idea as she had originally though it was.

"That's none of your business." She snapped. She tried to fight it, but the memory resurfaced, clear as day.

_Hayley shook off his hand and went after the man who had hurt him, lusting for his blood. She entertained herself with how she would do it as she walked steadily after him. She stiffened though when she sensed Sasuke coming and he was suddenly there, his arms around her, pinning her to him. _

_ He didn't even speak; with her new eyes, she could hear his thoughts clearly; Sibrina's were dim though, as she was farther away. When she had opened her eyes she had discovered she could hear everyone's minds at once, yet hers couldn't be heard in anyone else's unless she wanted it too. Was this the seal's doing?_

Stop, _Sasuke's mind said. She closed her eyes, listening to his thoughts and emotions, churning like a stormy sea. He was scared, she realized in shock. Scared for her. Scared she would become just like him. _

_ She saw her killing Hiroyuki through his eyes and her heart thudded painfully in her chest as her old self cried out in agony. She could feel the seal's power fading and with it, her strength. She allowed herself to fade away, knowing Sasuke would catch her. _

Hayley closed her eyes briefly, casting the memory out of her mind as she snapped them open again. Sasuke was standing by the door, hands in his pockets, as though waiting for something.

"Well? You've seen for yourself; I haven't off-ed myself while Sibrina was gone. Why don't you go and train or something?" Hayley asked, crossing her arms. Sasuke tilted his head slightly, as though debating something. 

"Come on," He said suddenly, and turned on his heel and left. Hayley stared after him and blinked in shock. _What?_

"You coming?" Sasuke called from the other room. Hayley frowned. She was a mess; her hair looked like a truck had run over it, she felt like shit, and quite frankly she didn't feel pretty.

"Yeah." Hayley shrugged, deciding she didn't care as she got out of bed and followed.

----

"You are a strange, strange boy, Sasuke Uchiha." Hayley commented as the waiter set a bowl of steaming ramen in front of her. "…and I'm very grateful for that fact." She added, picking up her chopsticks and happily breaking them apart.

She inhaled the bowl in minutes, and promptly ordered a second. She was probably taking advantage of Sasuke's hospitality, but decided she didn't really care; she was _hungry. _And it was ok to be selfish every once in a while, right?

Sasuke's sudden offer to treat her to dinner reeked of Sibrina though; she decided she would have to thank her. She had needed a reason to get out of bed other then simply because she had to; she had been curious about where Sasuke was taking her.

And quite frankly it had paid off, she thought as she finished her third bowl and leaned back in her booth, sighing contentedly.

She felt drowsy, her eyes sliding shut as she yawned widely and stretched. "Mmm. Thanks," She said, feeling a little awkward and slightly embarrassed he had seen her eat like a pig.

She crossed her arms and laid them and her head on the table separating her and Sasuke and sighed, closing her eyes.

"I needed that," She admitted, her voice muffled by her arm. She didn't look up. "I had a pretty shitty weekend."

"I know," Sasuke replied. "I think I should go home before I fall asleep right here." Hayley muttered into the table.

There was silence for a moment, and she raised her head to see Sasuke standing beside the table, waiting for her.

She yawned widely as she followed him outside, blinking sleepily as she raised her head to look up at the stars, glittering like diamonds cast upon a black velvet sky.

"Sibrina's probably wondering where I went," She sighed as they walked, eager to fill in the silence between them. Sasuke didn't reply.

"Look, if she asked you to take me out, you didn't have to." She said, and this time Sasuke finally looked at her. "She didn't ask me to do anything but check on you." He replied. Hayley arched an eyebrow, wondering if he was lying.

The silence that hung between them as he walked her to her apartment wasn't awkward, but thoughtful; she decided he wasn't lying, and wondered what he could have gained by taking her out to dinner.

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, wondering what was going on under that crazy hair.

They walked in silence the rest of the way there; when they finally arrived, Hayley hesitated at the door, having a bad feeling that Sibrina was going to kill her the instant she came in.

"Well, guess this is my stop. Let's hope Sibrina doesn't kill me." She sighed, turning away from Sasuke to fumble for her key.

"Here." Sasuke handed her the one Sibrina had given him and she blinked. "That's my key, isn't it?" She said flatly, realizing Sibrina must have dug through her stuff in search of it. She sweat dropped.

"Well… good night then." Hayley said, clearing her throat awkwardly as she started to put the key in the lock.

For a moment she thought she was dreaming; things moved so fast, and everything seemed surreal when suddenly Sasuke's hands were on her shoulders and turning her to face him. Her eyes flew open wide with surprise when he leaned in closer.

The kiss was over in moments, and left her head spinning and staring after Sasuke as he turned and left, walking down the hall as though nothing had happened.

She raised a hand to her tingling lips, staring at his retreating back.

_What the hell was that?_

5


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:**

Fluff and tons of angst this time around. Oh goodie.

Review, ne? :3

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Still dazed, Hayley pushed open the door and was promptly smacked in the face with a very large fish.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Sibrina shrieked as Hayley went flying backwards against the door, slamming it shut. She stared at Sibrina and blinked. "Why do you have a fish?" She asked, rubbing her sore and slightly slimy cheek.

"It's for dinner." Sibrina sniffed, hoisting it over her shoulder. "I'm not eating something I was viciously attacked with." Hayley said flatly.

"Where were you? You had me worried sick!" Sibrina growled, glaring at her. The fish's large, dead eye seemed to glare at her too. Hayley sweat dropped. She'd never really liked fish.

"I had a hot date." She said airily, walking past Sibrina to be promptly smacked in the back of the head with the fish, sending her flipping through the air and into the kitchen wall.

"With. Who?" Sibrina bit off each word as she came at her again, wielding the fish like a weapon.

"Sasuke." Hayley said, scampering away in terror to cower under the kitchen table. Sibrina frowned at her. "Like a date-date? Or did you just stalk him or something?"

"He took me out for ramen." Hayley said, careful to keep a distance of at least five feet between herself and the fish.

"Really? Aw." Sibrina said, grinning. Hayley flushed. "Did he kiss you?" Sibrina asked, still grinning as she tilted her head. She had probably just expected a quick "no" and roll of Hayley's eyes, but Hayley's face turned scarlet and she looked down.

"Oh. My. Gosh. He did?!" Sibrina shrieked, staring at Hayley with wide eyes. "No fair! You can't get kissed before me! I'm older!" She exclaimed, stabbing a finger at Hayley. "By three months!" Hayley retorted. "And it's not my fault I'm so desirable." She added, grinning. Sibrina rolled her eyes, though a small, amused smile tugged at her lips.

"…so how was it?" Sibrina asked after a moment. Hayley turned purple. "Is he a good kisser?" Sibrina pressed, grinning.

"…it was very nice…" Hayley finally said and Sibrina laughed and shook her head.

---

Hayley awoke in a sweat, staring at the wall, her breathing fast and shallow. She swallowed hard.

_The nightmares never do go away, do they? _She thought, wiping a trembling hand down her face as she sat up. She looked outside and blinked, realizing it was dawn.

She sat up, unable to go back to sleep, and sat cross-legged on her bed, the blanket draped over her shoulders as she watched the sun rise, hugging the pillow to her chest.

The nightmares danced before her eyes; she wished fervently they were made-up, just your ordinary ones of being chased by monsters, going to school in her underwear, and other normal scary things. Her eyes closed. Why did they have to be memories?

She shook her head, dispelling the dark thoughts as she turned her eyes to the rising sun.

She didn't look at the sun directly, but at the sky around it, fascinated by the slowly changing hues. She didn't know how long she watched the sun rise before she heard his voice.

"You're gonna go blind if you stare at the sun any longer." She started, blinking in surprise and turning her head to a figure lounging on the windowsill. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, trying to adjust her eyes to looking away from the bright sky.

Sasuke was smirking at her slightly, one leg dangling out her window, the other drawn up, his elbow resting on his knee.

"If Sibrina catches you there she'll beat you with a fish." Hayley said warningly. Sasuke arched an eyebrow, but probably decided it was pointless to question her friend's insanity.

"Why are you here?" Hayley asked finally, tilting her head. "We're leaving for a mission today; we'll be gone a while. I'm guessing you're not coming?" He asked. Hayley bit her lip. "I don't know…" She stared at her feet. Sasuke came into the room then and sat down next to her. She thought, unexpectedly, of what had happened the last time he was so close and blushed lightly.

"I know." He said quietly. "It won't act up for a while though; if you're still getting over what happened on the last mission, I'm sure everyone will understand." He said and Hayley looked at him. "Does everyone know I killed someone?" She asked hoarsely. "Word travels fast." He admitted and she fought the urge to swear.

"Great." She muttered, rubbing her arms and staring outside again. "If you're not going, I'm guessing Sibrina isn't?" Sasuke guessed. "She won't leave me alone for too long," Hayley replied, sighing. "I'm getting over it; or accepting it, at least." She said. "Hopefully by the time you get back she'll have realized I'm fine."

Sasuke nodded and didn't say anything. They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes while Hayley bit her lip and wrung her hands, working up to courage to ask what had been bothering her all night.

"…what was last night about?" She asked finally. "What about it?" Sasuke asked, and Hayley scowled in annoyance that he was so dense.

_Men. _

"I meant the kiss." She said, deciding to be blunt. Sasuke blinked at her in amusement. "I thought it was obvious." He said, in that same tone he used when Naruto asked him a really stupid question.

"Well dumb it down a bit for me." She said in annoyance, glaring at him; the glare didn't have much effect though, considering her cheeks were still pink.

"I like you. You like me. I thought that kissing was inevitable?" He asked, titling his head, still wearing that smirk. Though behind his eyes she saw a flicker of uncertainty.

"Whoever said I like you?" Hayley squeaked indignantly, blushing deeper. He liked her? One of her favorite anime characters just told her he liked her.

Well, that wasn't weird.

"What girl doesn't?" Sasuke replied, his voice laced with that usual smugness and Hayley glared at him. "Oi, I'm not some goofy fan-girl like a certain pink-ette I know. And pretty much every other girl who's ever met you." She snapped.

"Really? I don't recall you pushing me away." Sasuke replied, his eye brow quirking up again. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"I never said I didn't like you, but I don't like you for the shallow reasons everyone else does." Hayley growled. Sasuke's other eyebrow arched, joining its twin. "I like you because you helped me, because you were there for me when I wasn't there for myself; I like you because you stayed for me. I like you because… because I do." She finished in a rush, her face scarlet, feeling humiliated. Sasuke's smugness was gone, replaced by genuine surprise.

They sat in silence, Hayley trying to fight the blush as she chewed on her bottom lip, glaring at her hands with as much venom as though they were the reasons for her blabbering to Sasuke.

"I like you," Sasuke said slowly and Hayley stiffened. "…because you're not like the others. I never know what you're going to say next. I like you because you never show when you're scared. I like you because… you're you, and you don't pretend to be anyone else." He said, making Hayley's cheeks burn. He leaned in closer and pressed his lips gently against her temple.

"I'll see you in a few days." He said softly, and then he was gone, leaving Hayley to stare at where he had been, wondering if it had been just a dream.

---

Hayley trotted into the kitchen, in search of food. She blinked at Sibrina sitting down at the kitchen table, her chin in hand, her eyes thoughtful as she gazed into space.

"You ok?" Hayley asked, rummaging through the cabinet in search of some instant ramen.

"I'm trying to figure out where in the anime we are," Sibrina exclaimed, her eyes narrowing with thought. "If I'm correct… Team Seven just left for their final mission together before Sasuke… uh." She glanced suddenly at Hayley, who was staring at her in horror. "…before he leaves." She said quietly. "I think we're somewhere in the early one hundreds." She said.

Hayley's eyes widened in shock as she realized just how far along in the plot they were.

_I should have gone with him, _She thought wildly. _He shouldn't be alone right now! Oh no, he's going to… leave… _Her eyes pinched shut and she pressed a hand to her face, taking a deep, shuddering breath.

"…I'm taking a walk." Hayley announced suddenly and left, slamming the door behind her in her haste to escape the suddenly too-hot, stuffy room.

---

Hayley walked quickly, taking no notice of her surroundings, her breathing fast and uneven, her eyes staring at the dirt path beneath her feet.

If Sasuke was going to Orochimaru soon, did that mean she was going too? Would he come for her?

Her hand went up to her seal, and as though it sensed her worry it glowed under her hand, heating up briefly before fading away.

She shuddered and removed her hand, shaking her head.

What was this weird feeling growing inside her? It was like a part of her… _wanted_ to go with him. It was so easy to tell everyone there was no way she was going with him, pretending to be brave but really, there was a part of her that wanted that power again. That wanted to feel alive like that, to know no one could touch her.

_If I went, I could protect Sasuke. _She thought. _Protect him from anyone or anything with this new power… I could even protect him from himself. _She thought, remembering all of the spoilers Sibrina had told her for what Sasuke became later in the anime.

She closed her eyes briefly. The anime? How could she still think of this as an anime? When she was so conflicted about herself, when she had fallen for someone in it, and when she had killed a character? She shuddered inwardly, shoving the memory away.

_They're going to come for me too; they come for Sasuke pretty soon. _Hayley thought, thinking of Orochimaru's henchman. She swallowed against a wave of terror as she raised her head, deciding it may be a good idea to figure out where the hell she was.

She stopped dead and stared at the five people in front of her in horror. They had surrounded her without her even noticing.

"Well, so _you're_ Hayley?" A girl with red hair and an odd hat sneered. "Come with us Hayley… let's take a walk." She said, jerking her head and walking away. Hayley swallowed hard and looked at the men who had come up behind her, staring down at her with hard eyes.

She didn't really have a choice, did she?

Taking a deep breath, she turned away from the men and followed.

---

Hayley didn't come home that night.

Sibrina stared out the kitchen window, wondering if she should go after her.

_What if the Sound Five got to her? _She thought, her heart clenching in fear. They could convince her to come with Orochimaru, or threaten her. She closed her eyes briefly.

_She'll come home, _Sibrina thought determinedly, snapping her eyes open again. _She always does._

---

**Author's Note:**

I apologize for not going into detail about the Sound Five- I have been cut off from anime -sob- and I haven't seen them in the anime yet (I'm like three episodes away) so I only have pictures and names.

Thanks to Sibrina for providing that though :3

Thanks for reading, please review! ^^

LOSGAP =D

5


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**

Goodness, there's a bunch of angst in this chapter. I know I say that often, but brace yourselves people; it's going to get crazy angsty.

Well, please review at the end! I can't tell you how much I enjoy reading your reviews, they really make me smile. =)

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley returned sometime during the night, for she suddenly appeared out of her bedroom to come looking for breakfast.

Sibrina glanced at Hayley sitting at the table, eating in silence, her eyes distant. She wondered if she should ask if she'd been confronted by the Sound Five, or what she was planning to do.

The truth was, she was scared of the answer.

"I heard voices from your room yesterday morning," Sibrina blurted abruptly. Hayley glanced at her. "Yeah?" She asked.

"…it was Sasuke?" Sibrina asked, titling her head. She had overheard them talking the day before; she'd heard almost every word, but had been too scared to come out of her room, or even move, for fear of spoiling the moment.

Hayley just nodded and shrugged. "So he came to say goodbye?" Sibrina asked, frowning in thought. Hayley repeated the earlier gesture.

"Huh. That's weird." She mused. This time Hayley glanced at her. "Why?"

"Well, isn't it going kind of… fast?" Sibrina questioned and Hayley blinked. "Don't try and spoil this for me," She growled and Sibrina frowned at Hayley's glare.

"I'm not," She protested. "I'm just saying… you don't think that… maybe?" She hesitated. Hayley's eyes narrowed. "Think what?" She demanded.

"Maybe he's… trying to reel you in? Maybe Orochimaru's making him give you even more reason to come to him?" She asked delicately and Hayley stood up so fast she knocked over her glass. It shattered on the floor into a million sparkling pieces, winking briefly in the early morning light before fading into oblivion.

"He'd never do that," Hayley snarled. "You're just jealous that I have a boyfriend!" She snapped. Sibrina blinked, appearing calm, but Hayley's words had cut deep.

"I'm just trying to keep you from getting hurt." She said quietly and Hayley's eyes flashed. "Don't bother." She spat, spinning around on her heel and storming from the room. Sibrina flinched at the slam of the door and stared at the table, watching her tears splash onto the wood.

---

Hayley leaned back in the branch of the tree, ignoring the scrape of the bark against her skin as she tipped her head back to peer at the scraps of sky she could see between the emerald leaves.

_Sasuke would never do something like that, _She thought, watching a cloud drift by. Still, Sibrina had planted a seed of doubt in her mind. It grew roots and festered, feeding on her insecurities.

It _had_ all happened fast, hadn't it? Sasuke was never gentle or kind to anyone, but he had kissed her and told her why he liked her; that was more Naruto or maybe Rock Lee, but not Sasuke.

She'd sometimes imagined there was some chemistry, especially when he had taken her home after being bitten by Orochimaru, but Sasuke had never given her a single sign he was interested, other then being there when she needed him.

But that was what friends were for; they had gone from friends to something more in the span of twenty-four hours. She remembered that flicker of uncertainty in his eyes when he had looked at her as he said goodbye, and wondered suddenly if that had really been guilt; did he feel bad for making her need him?

She worked her jaw, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. Orochimaru was one of the most powerful people in the world; she and Sasuke were both his puppets, controlled by the seal. Could he somehow be forcing Sasuke to do this to her?

_ Just proving life's most well-known fact; never trust men._

---

Hayley wandered on the outskirts of Konoha, watching the odd ninja train, trying to keep herself from brooding too much.

She hated feeling like this; like she was being stalked by a personal rain cloud she had created herself as she tried to get out from under its shadow. Suddenly she could understand why Sasuke was always brooding and being emo.

She scowled. She hated people like herself, who spent all their time moping and dwelling on their problems instead of trying to fix them.

But there was no way to fix hers.

The words of Orochimaru's henchmen followed her wherever she went; the seal would gradually erode at her body, until she was destroyed. Until she went to Orochimaru.

_So go with the icky pedophile or gradually wither away in agony?_ She thought in annoyance. _Not exactly an easy choice. _

She sighed quietly to herself as she looked up at the overcast sky.

_It always did rain at convenient times in the anime, _She thought, bemused, as she turned and started to trudge home.

---

Hayley shut the apartment door quietly behind her, looking around warily for Sibrina. She wasn't sure if she was quite ready to face her yet.

It was then that her nose twitched, picking up on a familiar scent and she nearly moaned in delight.

_Chocolate!_

She went in search of the scent and found a plate of chocolate cupcakes on the kitchen table. Her mouth watered. When was the last time she'd had chocolate?

She reached out for one and frowned at it, seeing for the first time a letter was written in it in white frosting.

"R."

R?

She looked down at the others and noticed they all had letters on them, jumbled together randomly. She grinned to herself. A word game! She'd always loved word games. She sat down at the table and immediately went to work.

It took her a while, but in the end the cupcakes spelled out a simple message.

"I'M SORRY."

Sibrina had even made two different cupcakes for the punctuation marks.

Hayley's eyes softened and she sighed, putting her face in her hands. She felt guilty for blowing up at Sibrina that morning; Sibrina's words had struck a tender spot. She had noticed the same thing, but had denied it to herself, not wanting it to be true.

She popped a cupcake into her mouth, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Ramen was good at all, but nothing beat a chocolate cupcake.

"I take it that means you accept my apology?" A quiet voice asked and Hayley turned to see Sibrina hiding around the door, her hand and one eye the only thing Hayley could see. She looked afraid.

A flashback flared in Hayley's mind and her heart clenched in terror briefly.

_Hayley crept towards the sound of fighting, needing to make sure Mommy was ok. She poked her head warily around the corner of the door. Daddy was yelling at Mommy again. Daddy's face was red, and he kept shaking his fist. Every time he raised his hand, Mommy and Hayley would both flinch. Finally her father turned and punched the wall in his blind fury, leaving a fist-sized hole in the wall before he stormed out of the room. He slammed the door behind him, making the house shake._

Hayley's eyes widened as she stared at Sibrina, who was looking at her with the same wariness and fear with which Hayley had looked at her father.

Her hand went to her mouth as she started to shake, as she always did when she got scared. Her legs trembled uncontrollably as she started to shudder, her chest feeling like it was closing up.

"Hayley?" Sibrina asked, coming into the kitchen. Hayley just shook her head and buried her face in her hands, fighting back tears.

Her entire life she had vowed not to become him; she would never inspire such terror in the hearts of others, nor would she ever snap at them quite so easily. Her hands shook. Her worst nightmare had been realized.

She had become her father.

---

Hayley sat on her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest, staring at the wall.

This was by far one of the worst days of her life. It was right up there with when she had been bitten.

She had finally realized Sasuke didn't really care about her, and now she had become that which she feared most.

"Hayley?" Sibrina's voice called through the door. "It's all right." She said softly and Hayley shook her head, burying her face into her pillow.

"No it's not!" She exclaimed. There was a muted sigh, and then the door opened.

Hayley frowned at that and decided she needed to buy a lock just as Sibrina sat down on the bed beside her.

"We all blow up occasionally," Sibrina said gently. "I've yelled at people before. I've thrown things, I've gotten plain pissed off at people." The curse word coming out of Sibrina's usually clean mouth got Hayley's attention and she looked up at her friend.

"That doesn't make you him," Sibrina said quietly. She knew most of Hayley's past; not all of the dirty details, but most of it. Sibrina was the only one in whom Hayley had ever confided in.

Hayley sniffled, comforted. She knew Sibrina was right, and that she was probably overreacting. She was still getting over what she had realized about Sasuke.

"He may not be using you," Sibrina said suddenly, as though reading Hayley's thoughts. "He's a thirteen-year old boy; he's never had a girlfriend before; he probably doesn't know what the heck he's doing. It's not like his dad ever gave him girl advice." She pointed out. Hayley found herself nodding as she wiped away a tear. That was possible, and the thought of Sasuke not knowing what he was doing cheered her up; the thought of him not being perfect at something was music to her ears.

"Talk to him whenever he gets back," Sibrina said. "I can go and threaten him for you if you want first," She added and a harsh laugh barked out of Hayley's throat. "Nah I think I can handle the threats; thanks though." She said and Sibrina smiled and nodded. "Anytime."

---

Hayley walked through the forest, trying to clear her head. It had been a few days since she and Sibrina had fought and made up, and she was still getting over it. She had always liked being outside when she was trying to think things through, and the lush green forests of Konoha were great for hiking.

She had decided she would confront Sasuke about all this; she wouldn't stand for her first relationship to be built on lies. She would do this right. Her hands clenched at her sides. She would not make the same mistakes her mother had made. She would not allow him to walk all over her; the instant she smelled something was wrong, she would be gone.

She was jerked out of her thoughts by the snap of a twig and whirled, reaching for a kunai. One bad thing about not having sleeves was that she had to reach into her bag for a kunai; it made her slow and vulnerable, if only for a brief moment. But that was all the time her attacker needed.

Hayley cried out as something slashed the skin of her shoulder, narrowly missing her throat. The cut was so fast it was several moments before the gash opened up, weeping red tears onto the soil.

Hayley growled and crouched low, her eyes searching the woods in front of her. A flash of green appeared in the corner of her eye and she ducked, hearing the whisk of a blade as it darted over her head, taking a few strands of her hair with it. She rolled away from the sword and tried to stand, furious that whoever was attacking her was so fast.

Finally the bushes in front of her rustled and her attacker laughed, emerging from the trees. She grinned at the wide-eyed Hayley, her bright green eyes glittering.

"Remember me, mind-reader?" Aoi asked, tilting her head and smiling at her. Hayley stared at her and swallowed hard. Aoi leaned on her sword, her grin fading to be replaced with a cold little smile.

"You killed Hiroyuki," She murmured. Grief flashed in the depths of her emerald eyes and Hayley's stomach clenched with guilt.

"He tried to kill my friends," Hayley retorted, refusing to show her regret. Aoi was stronger then her, Hayley knew that; if Aoi noticed even the slightest of weakness she would pounce on it. Somehow she would figure out how to use her guilt against her; Aoi's mind was as sharp and quick as her blade.

"As I've said, we all have our orders," Aoi shrugged. "And I still have mine. But now it's personal," She said, her eyes narrowing. "I don't care if your fire-fingered friend comes and blasts me to pieces; I _will _have my revenge!" Aoi shrieked as she lunged, blade at the ready. Hayley was too slow to duck and was bowled over by her. They rolled through the bushes, Hayley floundering under her, cursing her inexperience. Aoi dragged Hayley up by her hair, making Hayley's eyes water. She realized Aoi had dragged her to a grassy clearing; fighting on that narrow trail would have been difficult.

Hayley's hand flashed forward and snatched a handful of Aoi's sleek black hair, making the woman shriek as her head was dragged forward. She released Hayley to place both hands on her sword hilt, giving Hayley enough time to throw herself at Aoi's mind.

_About time, mind-reader. _Aoi thought. She was clearly unsurprised by Hayley's blank, ice-colored eyes; her teammate must have warned her in advance. Hayley growled low in her throat, but kept her thoughts shielded from Aoi as she lunged.

Aoi was at least in her early twenties, with a lithe body and quick reflexes; Hayley was a thirteen-year old fresh out of ninja school, her only talent her mind-reading.

As Aoi landed yet another blow, Hayley found herself thinking miserably of how much weaker she was.

_Don't think like that! _Hayley snarled at herself. _In Naruto, the underdog _always_ won!_

Hayley wondered how a positive, determined outlook would save her ass in this situation as the blade grazed her, just below her throat.

_I gotta get one of those,_ She thought randomly, eyeing the sword appreciatively. She'd never understood why all ninja didn't have one; they were so damn _cool._

The only thing that kept her alive was reading Aoi's intentions and her ADHD; she could take in many different things at once, such as focusing on Aoi's sword and where her feet had to land to avoid it while also taking in how long she had before Aoi whipped around to come at her again.

Still, she was certainly taking a beating; she was bleeding heavily from her shoulder and at a new gash on her thigh; she had to get that sword out of Aoi's hands before it killed her.

She made a desperate lunge for the sword, but she moved too slowly; Aoi reacted with the speed of lightning and whirled as Hayley's hand grabbed blindly for the sword, slashing cruelly at Hayley's stomach.

Hayley gasped with pain as her blood splashed onto the ground and she collapsed to her knees, coughing as blood dribbled down the side of her mouth.

"I want you to suffer," Aoi whispered, pointing her sword at Hayley's throat. Her voice quavered slightly. "Like Hiroyuki did. Like I did."

Hayley cried out as she drove the sword into her back and she collapsed at Aoi's feet, unable to suppress a whimper of pain as Aoi jerked the sword roughly out of her back.

_I'm going to die._ Hayley realized as her vision flickered briefly in agony. Sibrina didn't know where she was; she wouldn't be able to rescue her. Her team was long gone; none of the villagers would hear her scream.

"Get up!" Aoi snapped. Hayley made no move to do so. She didn't think she could. "Fight me," Aoi snarled. "Why aren't you fighting back?"

"I don't know, the several gaping holes in me might have something to do with that." Hayley snapped, glaring at her weakly. She spat a clot of blood onto Aoi's shoe, making the woman snarl.

_Hiroyuki was killed by _this _little brat? _Aoi thought, clearly confused. Memories of Hiroyuki fluttered through her mind; her absolute adoration of him, fighting together, her pure, unwavering love for him. Hayley's heart cracked. She'd killed Aoi's fiancé. She fought the urge to be sick, her stomach rolling in self-loathing.

Suddenly she almost wanted Aoi to succeed in her quest for revenge; she wouldn't mind falling to her sword, if it would give her any closure.

_But it won't,_ Hayley thought. She'd always despised revenge. She'd refused to take it against those who had wronged her; she had tried before and in the end the only one suffering was herself.

She didn't think she had the ability of Naruto to make Aoi realize all of this was wrong and to relive key points in her childhood that would make her give up her revenge and they would become friends though.

_Maybe I can beat some sense into her, _she thought hopefully. That had worked for Naruto before.

Driven by pure will, she slowly rose to her feet. The world swayed violently around her and her head spun. She would never beat at Aoi at this rate; her only chance was retreat.

_Maybe if I run fast enough, I could find an ANBU member or something? _She thought hopefully, taking a step back. The world spun again and she almost fell. She wouldn't be able to run in this shape; her left leg, bleeding from a six-inch gash, shuddered underneath her.

It was settled then; she was going to die.

She stared at Aoi, whose mind was racing almost as fast as Hayley's. She could feel an almost motherly instinct in her rebelling at the thought of striking down Hayley, who looked like a defenseless child to her.

_A defenseless child who slaughtered Hiroyuki, _Aoi reminded herself and her eyes turned to green ice as she wielded her sword above her head, ready to kill Hayley.

Maybe it was instinct. Maybe it was Hayley's sheer terror. Or maybe it was something else, but whatever it was, it was beyond Hayley's control and she was just as stunned as Aoi when it happened.

Aoi dove for her, her blade a deadly silver flash against the turquoise sky. Hayley's body didn't move, but her mind sharpened itself into a weapon and flung itself at Aoi with brutal strength.

Her mind burst through the first gate that allowed Hayley to control Aoi's actions; it kept going though, and approached a second gate. The second gate blew open before her and Hayley was suddenly swarmed with memories; Aoi's childhood fantasies, her dreams with Hiroyuki, everything that had ever happened to her passed around Hayley, ready to be examined at her wish. Hayley kept going though, unable to stop as she approached a third gate.

The third was unlike the others; the first two had been silver and beautiful, but this third was an ugly thing. It was large and crude, made of black iron with cruel spikes stretching at the top. It was not made for appearance, but for keeping others out.

Hayley burst through it without a problem though, and Aoi shrieked. Hayley was aware of the mind-numbing pain that arched through her, but could not feel it; everything had happened so quickly Hayley could not keep up. Her attack had only been a second long and she was already in the deepest of Aoi's thoughts, in the very core of her being.

_Die,_ A voice that was Hayley's, but much colder and harsher whispered. Aoi let out a single gasp as she crumbled.

The fire of Aoi's light was snuffed out, extinguished by Hayley's own mind; Hayley's eyes snapped open as she recoiled from Aoi's dead, still mind.

Hayley stared at Aoi, her body lying in a tangled heap, her beautiful green eyes wide and blank, already beginning to glaze.

Hayley collapsed before the dead woman, a horrified sob escaping her as she stared wide-eyed down at the forever stilled body.

Aoi's memories flooded through her; fantasies of a beautiful wedding, of Hiroyuki's smile, of children with his eyes.

Hayley had ripped her future away from her. From both of them.

She started to shake violently. Whatever Sibrina said, it was true; she had truly become her father. She had taken two lives, destroyed two futures, snuffed out two bright sparks. She couldn't imagine the grief of their two families.

Hayley bowed her head and sobbed. What kind of monster was she?

_The kind that deserves to go to Orochimaru, _A voice whispered bitterly. Hayley let out a scared whimper as she stared at Aoi's eyes, covered with a milky film. Trembling, she reached out a hand to close her eyes and brought her hand back as she bent over and was sick in the grass. She tried not to notice how much blood she had just vomited.

She looked over at Aoi's sword lying in the grass, a few inches away from her outstretched hand. A blade without an owner.

It was a beautiful sword, one clearly designed to kill; it had a long, three foot blade of gleaming steel, ending in a black hilt with an emerald green ribbon wrapped around it. Hayley stretched a shaking hand out to it and picked it up slowly, her bloodied hand closing around the beautiful hilt as she lifted the blade. It felt heavier then it had looked, but it felt oddly right in her hand.

She stood, clutching the sword as she looked down at Aoi.

"I'm sorry," She whispered, a tear glimmering on her cheek. "I'm so, so sorry."

8


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note:**

You know, this WAS supposed to be a pure crack story. Now it's filled with angst to the brim.

…

Oh well. Crack will have its moments. =)

Review please! ^^

LOSGAP =D

* * *

A small part of Hayley had almost believed the second killing would be easier then the first; but if anything, it was worse. It was so much worse.

Whereas the last time she had had just the tiniest glimmer of hope that she wasn't a cold-blooded murderer, that it had only been self-defense for her and her friends, now there was no excuse. Hayley had killed again, and there were no witnesses to tell her she'd had no choice.

Aoi's memories haunted her every waking moment, clinging to her clothes and following her wherever she went, their dark whispers always at the edge of her conscious mind. In her sleep, she dreamed Aoi's dreams. Hiroyuki was always there, his eyes frozen into a glare of pure hatred.

_"We will never forgive you."_

She avoided sleep at all costs and mostly just sat on her roof, staring at the sky. It rained a lot of the time, conveniently enough (she was beginning to believe the weather was directly tied to her emotions).

She would stare up at the sky, feeling the rain wash over her. But no matter how wet and sodden she got, the blood never washed off; whenever she looked at her hands, they were always stained crimson.

---

It was only two days after Aoi's death when Sibrina literally dragged Hayley to the hospital to have her wounds dressed again; they'd been treated before, but Hayley had never tended to them as she should have, and they all began to fester.

"I swear, you're going to get yourself killed." Sibrina muttered, glaring down at Hayley. Hayley didn't respond, staring out the single window of her hospital room. Tsunade had ordered she stay here for a few days; the wounds in her stomach and back were both deep and needed to be monitored.

Sibrina sighed and shook her head, looking down at Hayley worriedly. She had lost all her color, and all the blue in her eyes had vanished, leaving only storm gray. Hayley's eye color was affected by her mood; the happier, the more the blue stood out- her eyes were almost turquoise at her happiest. But now they were a dull, lifeless gray, devoid of expression.

In bad need of a distraction, Sibrina looked over at the corner where Hayley's sword leaned against the wall. It was in its new black leather sheath, its deadly blade hidden. Sibrina recognized it as Aoi's sword.

Hayley's eyes followed Sibrina's and she sighed.

"I want to keep it," She said softly. "As a reminder. Aoi… Aoi wasn't a bad person. I don't want to forget her." She looked away again and closed her eyes.

Sibrina stared at the sword and back at Hayley. "Are you going to name it?" She asked and Hayley's eyes opened.

"Why?" She murmured. "Because don't most good swords have a name?" Sibrina asked, tilting her head. Hayley looked thoughtful for a moment.

"…Aoihime." She murmured, rolling over and turning her back to Sibrina.

"The Green Princess." Sibrina said, blinking in surprise. She'd named the blade after her last owner.

---

It was on the second day of being in the hospital that Hayley got an unexpected and very unwelcome roommate.

She woke up to see the second bed was occupied and a nurse was busy setting out both of their food trays.

"The hell? Why is _he_ in here?" Hayley demanded. "Lady Tsunade told us to put him in the same room as you; are you friends?" The nurse asked, smiling at Hayley.

"Oh yeah. We're _real_ chummy." Hayley rolled her eyes. The nurse didn't notice the sarcasm. "I'll leave you two to chat then," She said. As she left Hayley could have sworn she heard her giggle something about young love.

Hayley scowled at Sasuke's sleeping form, completely unaware of the girl glaring daggers into his very soul.

_Tsunade has a very sick, sick sense of humor. _She thought in annoyance. Her frown deepened as she looked at him. It wasn't fair he had to look that adorable as he slept. Was there no justice in this world? He had to at least drool in his sleep.

She stared at him for a while, searching for a flaw, but finding none. Even his hair looked a little less ridiculous when he was asleep.

_Drool, damn you! _

---

Eventually Hayley dozed off and awoke with a start. For some reason she woke up angry, and it took her a moment to remember why.

"You drool in your sleep." She heard his voice and instantly remembered. His blunt statement sunk in just then and she flushed purple, wiping her mouth off on her arm as she glared at Sasuke.

"Why are you in here?" He asked. She scowled. He wasn't allowed to be concerned about her. "None of your business." She sniffed. Sasuke arched an eyebrow. Hayley crossed her arms and flinched at the flare of pain in her stomach and shoulder.

"You look like someone kicked your ass." Sasuke pointed out. Hayley saw red for a brief moment and she threw the nearest thing at him. Unfortunately in her blind rage she missed him and ended up exploding a milk carton against the wall.

"Does this have something to do with Aoi?" He asked and Hayley stiffened.

"How do you know about her?" She demanded. "You talk in your sleep too." Sasuke replied, sounding vaguely amused and Hayley rolled her eyes.

"I repeat; none. Of. Your. Business." Hayley growled. Sasuke's other eyebrow raised at her tone.

"What happened?" He asked and Hayley looked away. She didn't want to tell him. She wanted to snatch up Aoihime and remove him of his manly pride, though she knew Sibrina would be mad if she ripped open her stitches.

"Why are you mad at me?" Sasuke asked, and Hayley glanced at him. He had his head titled, his obsidian eyes confused.

"Because," Hayley said, looking away. "I know what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" Sasuke asked and Hayley snorted. "You know what you're doing."

"Enlighten me." Sasuke said flatly.

"You don't really like me," Hayley snapped. "You've been lying all along; you just want to drag me to Orochimaru with you."

Sasuke blinked slowly. "Who told you that?"

"So you admit it!" Hayley snarled, stabbing a finger at him. She winced as her shoulder exploded in pain and brought her hand back.

"I haven't admitted anything," Sasuke reminded her. "And what's wrong with wanting you to come with me?"

Hayley hated the fact that when she was really furious, she started to cry. Tears pricked at her eyes as she glared daggers at Sasuke.

"So it's true then." Her voice shook slightly. "You've been using me."

"How is this using you?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow. "We're both going anyway. We don't have a choice."

"Then why are you screwing with me?" Hayley demanded. Sasuke didn't answer and looked away.

Too angry to care, she blinked, revealing her blank, eerie blue eyes when she reopened her eyes. She entered Sasuke's mind quickly and burst through the first gate.

_I don't think you'll find your answer here, _Sasuke thought, smugness emanating off of him. His thoughts were stubbornly blank. He was deliberately not thinking about his reasons to hide them from her; he was instead focusing on a potted plant across the room, counting the petals on the daises in it.

Sometimes Sasuke was infuriatingly clever.

Hayley remembered the second gate then; she pushed forward through the first level of Sasuke's consciousness.

She approached the second gate warily, not sure of what lay beyond. She remembered that there were memories in there, but the thought of sifting through hundreds of thousands of memories would be difficult. Besides, the third gate lay just beyond; she would have to be careful not to go too far.

When she entered the second gate she was surprised by the oddly gentle onslaught of memories. Not like the ones in Aoi's terrified mind; the memories here swarmed her, rubbing against her like cats, begging for attention. Some radiated warmth, others darkness. The amount of dark memories greatly overwhelmed the light, which didn't surprise Hayley, but still disturbed her slightly.

_But how do I figure out which ones are about me? _She wondered, staring around wildly at the huge amount of information.

She called out to Sasuke but he didn't hear her; he was staring wide-eyed at the wall, the daises forgotten, wondering what Hayley had done. He was completely immobilized.

_Shit. He can't hear me in here. _She thought in annoyance. She looked around at the memories and swallowed. Well, it couldn't hurt.

_Show me memories about me. _She ordered. She had expected her words to rebound to her and to feel stupid, but to her shock the memories obeyed. Dark and light memories swirled around her, and Hayley hesitated, stretching her hand out to a random dark one. As soon as she touched it she was thrown into the memory.

_Sasuke's eyes widened in horror as Hayley screamed, dropping to her knees, clutching at her head. _

The memory was over already and disappeared into the abyss, leaving Hayley to stare after it. So apparently these were organized one thought at a time? Awesome. She could be here forever.

_…show me ones about liking me. _Hayley suggested tentatively. A large amount of memories left and left only a few, some dark, others light. Curious, she touched a light one.

_"I like to think of her as… fearless." _

Hayley arched an eyebrow, wondering about that one. She plunged her hand into a dark memory.

_She's the only one who has any clue what I'm going through; I'll be damned if I let her get away from me. _

That gave her pause. It was Sasuke's usual selfishness, but there was a deeper motivation behind that thought; the fear of being alone. Abandoned, again.

She knew she should probably leave. That she had seen enough. But she reached out her hand randomly and a light memory flitted to her.

_Hayley sighed quietly and placed her head back on his chest. She fit to him perfectly, her head fitting just so into the crook of his neck. He put a hand on the small of her back and closed his eyes, deciding not to question whatever he was feeling and just let it happen. _

That one was longer then the others; Hayley doubted she would ever understand why memories were of different lengths. Maybe because they were the parts he remembered most?

Hayley swallowed hard and stared at the memories around her. She didn't know if she'd ever make it into Sasuke's memory vault again; he was smart, he may eventually figure out how to keep her out.

_Show me… the Uchiha massacre. _Instantly memories that were far darker then any other surrounded her. There were hundreds of them.

Hayley looked around at them all and picked one at random, and was instantly thrown into the bloody remains of the Uchiha compound.

---

It was some time later before Hayley finally retreated from Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke blinked and shook his head, his eyes slightly dazed. They hardened almost instantly and he looked away, working his jaw.

"Well? Did you get what you wanted?" He asked, his voice like flint.

"I did," Hayley whispered. Her voice shook and she cleared her throat. "Sasuke…" She bowed her head. He was manipulating her, his memories had taught her that; but not for Orochimaru. For his own gain; he thought that by courting her he could avoid the loneliness he knew lay ahead for him. For both of them.

By protecting himself, he had unwittingly protected her as well; Hayley swallowed hard as she tried to think of something to say. "Thanks, you pompous ass" didn't seem quite right.

She also felt dirty for going through his memories like that; it was worse then reading someone's diary. Sure she had gotten plenty of useful information, but she felt guilty for getting it.

"I know everything you saw," Sasuke said, his voice still cold. "I had to relive a lot of painful things because you were curious." His tone was downright scathing. Hayley flinched at his voice and looked down.

The silence was awkward and tense; Hayley fumbled for words while Sasuke just glared at the wall, cold fury radiating off of him.

"Aw, aren't you two just the picture of health and happiness?" Hayley's head snapped up as Sibrina walked in. She tilted her head and grinned down at Sasuke and Hayley.

She frowned though, noticing Hayley's red eyes for the first time. Hayley averted her gaze and looked out the window.

"Hey Hayley, you got something on your neck," Sibrina said suddenly and approached her. Hayley frowned. "What?" She craned her head around, trying to see. "Hold on I got it," Sibrina said, stopping by the head of her bed. Hayley's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets when Sibrina's hand hit the base of her neck hard and she slumped forward into blackness.

---

Hayley's eyes rolled into the back of her head and she collapsed forward without a sound.

"…did you just knock out your sister?" Sasuke asked flatly.

"Yes." Sibrina replied with a cheeky grin. Sasuke just looked at her like she was crazy.

"I have my reasons," She said mysteriously as she came over. She smirked down at him, her innocent smile replaced with something more devious.

"Now," She asked sweetly. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes and muttered something about paranoid females.

"What was that?" Sibrina asked, rubbing her fingers together, and a spark flew off of them. She grinned to herself; she was the Roy Mustang of the Naruto world. Her dreams had come true.

Sasuke just snorted. "Hn." He fell back onto his pillow and stared up at the ceiling. For the first time Sibrina realized his eyes were a bit shinier then usual. Tears?

He blinked though and they were gone so quickly she couldn't be sure about what she had seen. Her eyes narrowed as she looked between the unconscious girl and brooding boy.

_What did I miss? _She wondered. She frowned in annoyance that Sasuke wasn't about to tell her anything, and she'd put Hayley out so she couldn't interrupt. She'd have to confront her later. She couldn't pull that same trick on Sasuke now.

"Hayley's gonna be pissed when she wakes up." Sasuke pointed out suddenly and Sibrina smirked slightly. "Yes, unless you tell her I saw a bee; then she'll be so grateful it won't even matter." She replied airily, walking lightly out of the room.

---

Hayley flipped through the air, Aoihime slicing neatly through the air with her as Hayley skidded to a halt on the ground, watching in satisfaction as the head of the practice dummy fell off.

With a wild war cry she leaped up again, hefting the sword above her head. She wasn't used to the sword's weight though and it unbalanced her, making her fall backwards with a shriek and landing on her back.

She scowled up at the sky, trying to catch her breath. Fighting with Aoihime would definitely give her an advantage, if she ever learned to master the blade. When Aoi had fought with it, it had been like an extension of her own arm; Aoi rarely thought about how she was holding the sword, how much power was behind her swing; she just knew. She and the sword were perfect for each other.

She hefted the sword in her hands and stared at it, its blade gleaming wickedly in the sun. Swordfighters made it look so easy, but the truth was, fighting with a sword was _hard._

She groaned and flopped her arm over her eyes. She knew Sasuke and Naruto were probably fighting on the hospital roof right now; she'd requested an early discharge, not wanting to be there for it. Sasuke still acted like he hated her, and quite frankly she didn't know if she still felt the same about him.

His memories of the massacre, and of his family before that, haunted her. It was one thing to watch it on her computer screen at home, and entirely different to feel his fear, to taste its metallic tang, to feel the blood of his parents on her skin.

She could finally understand why he couldn't get past it; she hadn't stopped thinking about it since she had examined his memories. Even his blatant abuse of her emotions was forgotten.

She wondered if he'd ever forgive her; the cold fury that had gleamed in his eyes when she had tried to say goodbye that morning told her she had a long way to go.

_Do I even _want_ him to be on good terms with me though? He's still an ass. Though I don't really want him as an enemy… _She thought of the few Shippuden episodes with him in it and shuddered. No, she didn't want that. Besides, they were probably going to be stuck together for a while; she'd rather be at least civil with each other rather then have them continue to hate each other.

_I have to make things right, _She thought with a grimace. She hated having people hate her; it made her feel sick, and she could never stop thinking about that person and what she had done wrong. Sibrina had told her often that it was never her fault, and that she should never change herself to try to please just one person. Still, Hayley had grown up being hated for things she did, and when she did things wrong, people were punished. People got hurt.

Maybe it was having that train of thought engraved into her as she had grown up that made her the way she was; she associated men hating her with pain and fear. She would avoid that at all costs. Just like how Sasuke had his own bad traits from his own childhood; his possessiveness, and his need to be better then everyone at everything.

She closed her eyes and sighed. She had a lot to do, and not much time; there was no use in dwelling over things she couldn't change. Gritting her teeth, she rose from the ground, clutching Aoihime. She roared a challenge as she charged the straw dummy, leaping up into the air to stab the blade directly where the heart should be.

7


	19. Chapter 19

**Author's Note:**

And the crack makes its return. :D

Last bit of crack for a while, so enjoy it. It's very insane, but most of it is inside jokes (don't forget I'm writing this mainly for my best friend xD) so you may be confused or just plain creeped out by the end of this. :3 I'm sorry. Lol. Sorry it's shorter then usual by the way, but next chapter should be much longer.

Anyway, please enjoy! :D

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley hadn't had any dreams but nightmares and of Aoi for a long time; so at first when she had her first dream that didn't seem too ominous, she felt relief.

But then she realized this wasn't a normal dream, and her blood chilled. She could _hear_.

In most of her normal dreams, even her nightmares, there was no sound. Unlike most people, Hayley's dreams were always silent. There was never any communication going on; there were rarely other people in her dreams.

She was standing in a dark forest, another indication this was one of the rare dreams; she never dreamt about nighttime. Yet it was always night in the ones that had come to her in her old world, and those dreams were rarely a good thing.

Hayley never thought of herself as "psychic". She couldn't call the visions to her, and she could never make sense of the dreams. Rarely not until after the events had come to pass.

She had foreseen several key events in her life from these dreams; they had served to make her wary, and had protected her in the end.

The scent of smoke wafted into her nostrils and she turned towards the sound of a crackling fire. Her eyes widened in horror at the bright orange flames, licking hungrily at the trees, devouring all in sight as it approached her.

She turned and fled through the woods, but the fire kept pace; it was always a step behind her, so close she could feel its heat on her back.

She tried to shake it off her path, and after a while realized it was _following _her. No matter where she went, the fire would chase her relentlessly as she continued to run.

She burst through the trees and saw Konoha ahead; her eyes widened as she slid to a halt, staring at the village in horror as she looked back at the fire.

"No!" She cried as the fire raced around her. Her eyes widened as it passed harmlessly through her like smoke, streaking towards the village.

She screamed as the village erupted in flames, only able to watch helplessly as the city burned, listening to the screams of dying villagers.

This was all her fault; she had led the fire to Konoha.

---

Hayley awoke in a cold sweat, shuddering and shaking as she stared at her wall.

The dreams always left her rattled, trying to make sense of it, but this time the message was clear; Hayley would bring the destruction of Konoha.

She wiped a hand down her sweaty face, trembling as she tried to catch her breath. The acrid tang of smoke still hung in the back of her throat, the dying screams of the villagers echoing in her ears.

She looked over at Aoihime, leaning against the wall beside her bed. She almost reached out for it, but stopped herself. Killing herself to save the village seemed like a noble idea, but the truth was, she didn't want to die. Her hands shook and she looked away from the sword. Tremors racked her body so violently her teeth clicked together. Why her body shook like this when she was frightened never made sense to her, but it was always like this. She would have to learn to control it eventually; if she was ever in a fight against someone who scared her, she could get herself killed if she was shaking too hard to fight back.

A part of her knew she had to tell someone, but she was terrified; she had foreseen herself destroying Konoha. If anyone found out, they might kill her to prevent the prophecy from coming true.

A scared whimper escaped her clenched teeth as she hugged her pillow to her chest and stared out into the night, wondering what she was going to do.

---

Training suddenly became the most important thing to Hayley; she was never at home anymore and chose to train out in the woods, usually away from the training grounds, on the outskirts of Konoha.

The dream haunted her; every so often she could swear she had caught a whiff of smoke on the breeze, and she jumped whenever she heard something that sounded remotely like a scream.

She pushed through the memories though and focused on her training; maybe by mastering her body, she could learn to avoid whatever she would do in the future? She could not allow the village to be destroyed; she would not kill again, she would always protect them.

_Is that my ninja way? _Hayley wondered suddenly, pausing in her training. _To always protect those I love? _A small smile twitched at her lips. It fitted her. Hayley had always gone out of her way to protect others, even at the cost of self-sacrifice; back home she had often taken the blame for her siblings when something had upset their father.

_Just like mom always did._ Hayley thought, a tremor running down her arms. She gritted her teeth and charged her invisible enemy, taking out her pent-up rage on everything in sight.

---

"You're finally home," Sibrina said when Hayley dragged herself in the door early one morning; she'd been out all night, training. She stared blearily at Sibrina, her eyes more gray then blue. Most of the blue had faded out of her eyes after Aoi.

"What do you say we go out?" Sibrina suggested. Hayley looked like she'd been dragged through the mud; her hair stuck out in random places, her clothes were caked with dirt and to Sibrina's alarm she saw fresh blood smeared on her.

"Cut myself a few times," Hayley grunted when Sibrina stared. "And sure. Let's go." She muttered, turning and walking out the door again. Sibrina trotted after her, staring at her worriedly.

"You're never home anymore," Sibrina pointed out as she caught up to Hayley. "I thought we should just go out, have some fun? Girl time?" She suggested hopefully. To her shock, Hayley smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Sounds fun." She grinned. Sibrina blinked in surprise. She hadn't gotten a smile out of Hayley for a long time. She couldn't help but notice when Hayley smiled though, the corners of her eyes crinkled slightly; at thirteen, she already had the beginning of wrinkles.

Sibrina felt sick that Hayley was under so much stress it was beginning to show like that, but she forced a smile back. "Yeah; let's go shopping or something." She suggested.

"Sure! We can prank the townsfolk," Hayley agreed with a devious grin. "Can we get breakfast first? I need caffeine," Hayley begged and Sibrina laughed, glad to see Hayley was finally coming back to herself. "Of course; my treat. Let's go."

---

Hayley cackled with glee, Sibrina just behind her as they fled down the rooftops of Konoha, a large amount of incredibly pissed off ninjas following just behind.

"You'll never take us alive!" Hayley shrieked, planting a few paper bombs behind them.

They exploded almost instantly and Hayley glanced over her shoulder at the choking, gasping crowd, smothered in green smoke. Hayley smirked. That hundred yen at the prank shop had been worth it.

After Hayley had launched a mind attack on half the townsfolk, things had gotten… strange. The next thing anyone knew, Iruka was doing the chicken dance in the middle of class. Kakashi was break-dancing. Shikamaru, Neji, and Shino were doing the carameldansen, not that anyone knew what that was. Guy was streaking through the village. (Hayley regretted that one; children all over the village would be permanently scarred for life, especially his team.) At least Lee didn't follow his bad example. (He had tried but Ten-Ten had tied him up to prevent such a horror.)

Sasuke was next on the prank list, though Hayley felt bad about humiliating Sasuke. A little. But she would figure out how to erase everyone's memories.

"I'm going to try something," Hayley muttered to Sibrina. "Cover me!" She produced a shadow clone to run in her place and darted off into an alley to concentrate.

Her blank blue eyes stared at everyone and she concentrated fiercely, flinging herself at them all, straight into the second gates.

_Show me today's memories. _Hayley ordered and the memories of at least twenty different people flitted to her.

Her hands flew out and snatched them all up, crushing them between her fingers. The memories disappeared without a trace. The confused people were now sitting on the roofs, wondering what had happened, and why they all smelled like sulfur.

"I can't believe that worked," Sibrina said in surprise as she landed down beside Hayley, who grinned. "That gives me the freedom to screw with Sasuke now. Come on, we got some children to traumatize."

---

"Sasu-chicken" was a long running inside joke between the two girls (if asked to explain, it would take hours and no one would find it funny except them), so Hayley dragged Sasuke out of his house and made him cluck and peck at the dirt.

"What's Sasuke doing?" Naruto asked, sounding more horrified then amused. Sasuke looked up, squawked, and resumed scratching at the dirt, flapping his arms.

"That's just plain creepy." Naruto muttered. Hayley nodded. "Well I did it for Sibrina, and she loves it." She explained, pointing at Sibrina rolling around in the dirt a few feet away, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"I was going to make you two make-out or something in front of Sasuke's fan girls, but I decided that would be more creepy then funny," Hayley explained. "This works out just fine though." Hayley said with a grin. Naruto, who had gone pale at the words "make-out" and "Sasuke" in the same sentence, grinned.

"It is pretty hilarious." He snickered. Hayley knew she would have to erase Sasuke's mind at the end of the day, but she liked making him obey her every silly whim.

---

"And… and… he was like…" Sibrina was laughing so hard she was wheezing when they both finally stumbled back into the apartment late that night. She made an attempt at a squawk and lost it almost instantly; laughing so hard Hayley had to drag her into her bed.

Hayley was laughing too, though she stopped almost as soon she crawled into her own bed. She felt bad for screwing with Sasuke, but no one remembered today's events; no one but her and Sibrina at least. As far as everyone was concerned, today had been just a normal day. Except for Guy still leaping over the roof tops in his birthday suit; no one dared get close enough to try and stop him, including Hayley. He was doing it of his own free will now, convinced it was some kind of training.

"Let's see Kakashi do this!" She had heard him laugh. Sibrina had looked at her hopefully.

"You're such a pervert," Hayley had snorted.

But now she leaned against her pillow, arms crossed under her head, staring at the ceiling. It had felt great to give Sibrina something to remember her by; one last insane adventure together. A tear rolled down her cheek. She and Sibrina would most likely never do something like that again.

_At least she'll be laughing about that for a while, _she thought with a sad smile, rolling over and was asleep almost instantly.

---

Sasuke stared out the window, trying to remember what happened today. All he could remember was lying in bed all day, which made sense considering how much he disliked everyone right now, but he was fully dressed, as though he had left at some point. He didn't remember that.

_Why do I have the feeling Hayley's behind this? _He wondered, staring out the window. For a brief moment he could have sworn he saw someone who looked a lot like Guy leap over a house, silhouetted against the moon briefly, laughing heartily. Sasuke paled when he realized he was naked.

_…maybe I should be glad I don't remember anything…_

5


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's Note:**

I'm glad you all loved the crack chapter. I'm afraid that will be the last one for a while; this will be the last update for a while as well, as I still have some research to do for Shippuden.

That's right; this is the last chapter before the leap to Shippuden (and we can finally start dealing with the Sai pairing, yay!)

The amount of angst in here is overwhelming; you have been warned. O.O

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Hayley shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip, working up her courage.

She'd done a lot of scary things in her life, but this was right up there with the scariest. She licked her lips, swallowing hard as she raised a shaking hand to knock, and then letting it fall again.

_I can't do it, _she thought wildly. She was beginning to shake again and with a massive effort stopped it just as the door opened.

"You've been standing out there for a half hour," Sasuke said flatly. "What do you want?" He demanded irritably. Hayley flushed that he had known she was out there the entire time.

"Can I come in?" She asked hesitantly and he frowned at her before he nodded slowly and stood aside, letting her in.

Hayley came in and clenched her jaw, fighting a shudder of nervousness as she looked at Sasuke, curiosity flickering in his onyx eyes.

"Come to pry a bit more?" He asked dryly as she tried to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She flushed deeper, if that were possible, and tried to control her temper.

"No," She snapped, and then took a deep breath. "I came to say I'm sorry," She said in a rush and stared at her sandals. Sasuke's surprise was brief, quickly to be replaced with smugness. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." He said with a smirk and Hayley glared at him.

_Why do I like him? He's such an ass. _She thought in annoyance. "You heard me. Now it's your turn," She said with an identical smirk, though her knees shook slightly, still getting over the stress of apologizing. She hated saying sorry to _him_, especially when he took it like that, but she knew she had to say it eventually.

"Why should I apologize to you?" Sasuke snorted as Hayley went sat on his couch to hide her shaking legs. He followed and stood in front of her, his arms crossed stubbornly.

"Because like you said we're gonna be stuck together," Hayley snapped. "I sucked it up and apologized; now it's your turn."

"I don't see why I need to." Sasuke sniffed, tossing his head to look away. "Because you were an ass, that's why." Hayley snorted. Sasuke turned his head slightly to give her a brief glare before looking away again.

Hayley glared up at him. "I refuse to leave until I get an apology." She said flatly.

"Then you might be here a while," Sasuke retorted. Hayley crossed her arms and leaned back on his couch.

"Are those two words really that hard to say? I thought you could do anything, yet you can't humble yourself for a brief moment." Hayley snorted. She couldn't resist. "At least when Naruto screws up, he admits it." She added and Sasuke whirled to glare at her with such venom she stiffened, terror coursing through her for a brief moment.

_He's not going to hit you, _a voice murmured soothingly, trying to calm her before she bolted. Still, goose bumps had crept up her arms when she had seen the malice in his eyes. It was gone now though, and he shoved his hands into his pockets to look out the window. He was no longer her father, but a thirteen year old boy about to make the biggest mistake of his life; Hayley tried to ignore the fact that she was making the same one.

"Fine," He muttered. "I'm sorry." He said the words as though they left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"For?" Hayley quipped, unable to resist pushing the point. That earned her a rather well deserved glare and no reply.

"Well? You got what you wanted; why are you still here?" Sasuke demanded when Hayley didn't get up to leave. Hayley bit her lip. She hadn't really expected Sasuke to say he was sorry; she had made a promise to herself though, what she would do if he did. If she couldn't even keep a promise to herself, what kind of person was she?

Her jaw opened and shut a few times, trying to force the words out of her throat.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and frowned at her as he waited, obviously starting to get annoyed.

"I…" She feigned a coughing fit to hide her stuttering. "…want to show you something." She said and stared at her hands. "The second you cop an attitude though I'm leaving." She growled, clenching her hands to hide the tremors.

She had gotten his curiosity now, because he didn't irritably start demanding to know what she was talking about, and just waited in silence.

"I thought that…" She bit her lip. "That since I pried through your memories, I should give you a chance… to look in mine." She looked up to see Sasuke's eyes widen slightly.

"To show you how really sorry I am. And, as twisted as it sounds, I want to be your friend. At the very least." She added with a small, weak smile. She didn't know if they were still dating anymore; she didn't know if she even still wanted to.

"I haven't tried this before, so I don't even know if this will work." She said warningly as he turned to face her completely. "So… yeah. Let's give it a shot and hope for the best." She said. "Come here." She ordered. "Stop standing there like a statue and sit." She patted the seat next to her and scooted over, giving him more room. With a small sigh as his only complaint, he came and sat down next to her. She crossed her legs so that she could turn around completely towards him and held out her hands, palms facing up, the backs resting on her knees. When Sasuke didn't seem to get it right away she smiled slightly at him. "I don't bite… that hard at least." She said and with a sigh he placed his hands in hers.

His fingers were cool and smooth, and hers slipped in between his and fitted perfectly, making her smile a bit to herself as she closed her eyes.

She entered his mind, feeling it swim with curiosity.

_Let's hope this works, _She thought, and with a massive effort, pulled Sasuke into her own mind.

She felt him stiffen as his mind struggled, not made to be placed in others. It was eating up her chakra to keep him in with her, and she felt her body weaken.

_Make it fast. _She thought, clenching her jaw as she pulled him in deeper.

She found the both of them standing before her own second gate and she looked over at him. While her body was very solid, firmly set in her own mind, his was transparent, flickering as though he was in a strong wing.

Hayley forced a smile as she turned and threw open the silver gates.

To be in her own memory vault didn't feel nearly as alien as she had thought it would be; she felt at home and walked through the smoky wisps of memory, somehow knowing what each one was.

_How do I pick one? _Sasuke asked, clearly overwhelmed as he followed her inside, staring in bewilderment at the memories as they surrounded him, swirling around him in a cloud of thought.

_Remember what I did? I just told them what to do, and they came. Memories are trained to respond to thought, _Hayley thought, crossing her arms as she watched Sasuke, looking uncomfortable for possibly the first time in his life.

_Show me memories of me, _He ordered, holding out a hand. Hayley had a feeling she would be squirming with embarrassment by the time this was all over.

_The dark ones are bad; the light ones are good. _Hayley added as he looked around in wonder at the mass amount of memories.

To her surprise, he held out his hand to a dark one that raced to him as though he had promised it cookies.

_Sasuke whirled to glare at her with such venom she stiffened, terror coursing through her for a brief moment. _

He's not going to hit you_, a voice murmured soothingly, trying to calm her before she bolted. Still, goose bumps had crept up her arms when she had seen the malice in his eyes._

She flushed and looked away, crossing her arms. She could feel Sasuke's shock.

_You were afraid of me? _He thought, clearly confused. Hayley avoided his gaze, wishing her thoughts were hidden from him, but in the recesses of her mind, he had as much power as she did in his; her thoughts were all out in the open.

_Your father…? _She flinched, gritting her teeth. She wanted to tell him to step off, but she knew that would only feed his curiosity. Besides, she owed him this, so she didn't protest when he asked the memories to show him her father.

Thousands of memories swarmed him, almost all inky black. Some were a pale gray, a few bright white. True to his nature, Sasuke reached out for a black one.

_"Shut up!" Her father roared, whirling around to hurl the crying infant at her sister who fell back onto a couch from the force of the throw. Her father whirled to storm out of the room, leaving only the stench of terror and alcohol in his wake. _

For a moment neither of them could even think, shock radiating off of both of them. Hayley wondered at her horrible luck that Sasuke would pick one of the worst memories she had. Hesitantly, Sasuke reached out towards another black memory.

_Hayley plugged her fingers into her ears as a violent tremor ran through her, staring out in terror from underneath her bed, trying not to hear her father's roars and her mother's screams. _

Hayley felt an urge to be sick. She could finally understand how terrible this had been for Sasuke; she was reliving some of the worst moments of her life, with a witness who barely knew her.

_It's not fun, is it? _Sasuke thought, though she could feel him still reeling from the terror he had felt in Hayley's memories. She wanted to beg him to stop, but restrained herself, though she knew he had already read the thought in her mind.

_I always wondered why you flinched when someone yelled. _Sasuke thought. Hayley crossed her arms and wished she hadn't decided to do this; sure she felt good on some scale about this, but other then that she just felt horribly invaded.

Just then the silver gates flung open and a great wind blew, dragging Sasuke out of her mind as her chakra depleted, forcing her to let him go.

She blinked, feeling drowsy as she found herself back on Sasuke's couch. Her body thrummed with exhaustion and her head nodded with fatigue.

When she was scared, her knees shook. When she was terrified, her entire lower body shuddered as though she were freezing to death. But now her entire body shook, her teeth clicking together every so often as tremors racked her body, her shoulders jerking and her arms shuddering.

If it weren't for the brief pause between shakes, she might have thought she was having a full-scale seizure.

"Sorry," Hayley muttered between clenched teeth. "I can't stop shaking." Sasuke didn't anything; he was wearing his usual expressionless mask, though Hayley could see the whirlwind of thoughts spinning behind his eyes. He was trying to figure out what he had just seen.

"Well I should probably go," Hayley said as another shudder ran through her. "Before I hurt myself." She added as her teeth smashed together with an audible _click._

She let go of Sasuke's hands, and he didn't say anything as she went out the door.

---

"Naruto," Hayley called, and the blonde boy in question turned, blinking at her curiously.

Like the rest of the village, he had no memory of her and Sibrina's experiment; that would forever be Sibrina and Hayley's little secret. So she tried not to grin as she came up to him.

"Yeah?" He prompted when she didn't say anything. She hesitated, and then suddenly engulfed him in a hug. Naruto squeaked with shock as she bear-hugged him. It wasn't quite as violent as her first glomp, as they both remained upright, but it was still enough to crush the air out of him.

She clenched her eyes shut tightly as she held him for a moment, ignoring the villagers passing around them, making comments and snickering.

"Promise me something," Hayley whispered, not looking up, her lips close to Naruto's ear.

"If you stop crushing me, maybe." Naruto grunted and she slackened her grip slightly, still holding onto him.

"…look after Sibrina." Hayley murmured.

"Aren't you going to do that?" Naruto asked as Hayley pulled back. "Just in case," Hayley smiled weakly at him, blinking furiously. She stretched forward and kissed his forehead gently, making him stiffen and blush.

"You'll be a great Hokage," Hayley said softly, and vanished with an explosion of smoke, landing on top of the roof nearby so she could look down at Naruto as he looked around with confusion. Tears blurred her vision briefly before she turned around and darted away.

---

Hayley walked in silence, watching the dirt path disappear beneath her.

Leaving early in the morning had seemed like a good idea at first; Sibrina was a night owl, and would have known instantly if she had tried to sneak out that night; plus she could say goodbye to Naruto that way. But now she had the majority of the day to hide out around the edge of Konoha- she could feign training if someone found her, but she had a fully packed bag with her. If Sibrina found her, she was a goner.

She hesitated when she came to an empty training field; Aoihime seemed to gain weight on her back, as though agreeing that there was no point in just sitting around and waiting for nightfall.

She withdrew Aoihime and began to spar with an imaginary opponent, feeling her sword arm shudder and ache with fatigue as the hours wore on.

"So that's where you went," She nearly jumped out of her skin at the familiar voice and whirled, nearly lopping off Sibrina's head with her sword.

"Whoa!" She jumped back and landed a few feet away. She straightened up and grinned at Hayley, who could only stare at her, her heart pounding.

_Please don't see my pack, please don't see my pack…_

"I knew I'd catch you training. I thought _you_ were supposed to the slacker, not me. I haven't trained in a week." Sibrina said, grinning at her. Hayley nodded and swallowed, her mouth suddenly bone-dry. Sibrina frowned at her. "You ok? You look like you saw a ghost," She said, tilting her head.

"I'm fine," Hayley replied, though she took a step back when Sibrina started to move towards her.

Sibrina frowned at her and glanced around the clearing, her eyes landing on Hayley's pack and bedroll leaning against a tree. Hayley froze as Sibrina's eyes widened.

"…you're leaving." Sibrina said softly. Hayley bit her lip. She didn't say anything.

Sibrina turned to look at her and Hayley's stomach dropped with guilt when she saw the tears in her friend's eyes. "You promised you wouldn't," She whispered.

"I'm sorry," Hayley bleated, taking a step back. Should she run?

"You could stay," Sibrina said, coming closer. "We can find a way to fix the seal; there _has _to be another way," She said, her voice desperate. For a second a cavern of fierce longing yawned open in Hayley's chest; the thought of staying was almost too tempting. Then she slowly shook her head. "Sibrina… this is how it has to be." The screams of dying villagers suddenly rang in her ears.

"No it isn't!" Sibrina exclaimed. A single tear fell down her cheek, and suddenly she took a battle stance.

"Sibrina…" Hayley said warningly as Sibrina held up her fists.

"Naruto may not have been able to save Sasuke," She said, her voice trembling. "But I won't fail. I _will _take you home; I'm not afraid to beat the shit out of you if I have to." She said.

"Sibrina, I don't want to fight you." Hayley said, though an emotion that was not her own suddenly burned through her like fire.

_Sibrina's one of the most powerful ninjas your age, _A colder version of her voice whispered in her mind. _If you can beat her, you can prove to both her and yourself how powerful you are._

Hayley closed her eyes. She should have fought the feeling away and turned and fled, rather then fight her best friend; but she latched onto the feeling greedily, aching to feel something other then this pain in her chest.

She fed it with old jealousies of her friend, feeling it grow as she closed her eyes, shuddering with the sudden increase of power that roared through her.

"Let's do this," Hayley said, re-opening her eyes to grin at Sibrina.

---

Hayley smirked at Sibrina, her eyes wide and blank. Sibrina instinctively took a step back.

_I can't use my lightning; I'd kill her. _Sibrina thought, though sparks danced off her fingers in anticipation as she stared at Hayley, trying to think of the best way to attack.

"What? I thought you wanted to fight?" Hayley asked, tilting her head, that same, twisted grin on her face. Sibrina stared at her; this wasn't her Hayley.

Her eyes widened suddenly as Hayley appeared behind her.

"Too slow." She whispered.

Sibrina cried out as Hayley punched her on the back of the head, sending her flying across the clearing and into a tree.

Hayley drew Aoihime, the blade gleaming wickedly in the sunlight. "Come on Sibs! I thought you weren't afraid to beat the shit out of me!" Hayley taunted.

Sibrina gritted her teeth, her resolve wavering. Hayley wasn't herself anymore; she didn't seem to be aware of it, but her seal was glowing again.

"Nonsense; I am myself. Don't you see, Sibrina? This is who I am. This is who I've always been." Hayley said, grinning as black swirls and spirals suddenly stretched across her skin.

"I'm only just now letting the true me out," Hayley whispered. Sibrina shrieked when she was suddenly knocked over again as Hayley darted to her side, tossing her aside with a flick of her wrist.

"Come on! Beat the shit out of me!" Hayley called, sauntering towards her. Sibrina didn't think, and only reacted. Her hands formed a quick seal and she pointed her fingers at Hayley. Aoihime suddenly shone with a bright yellow light and Hayley shrieked, dropping the suddenly hot sword. Instead of glowering at Sibrina, she actually smirked.

"That was impressive; I'm so glad you're finally showing some backbone!" She grinned and charged, leaving the sword behind.

Sibrina held up her hands defensively as Hayley threw a punch, then used her other hand to catch the foot Hayley kicked up at her. She twisted the leg, sending Hayley flipping through the air where she landed on her feet.

Hayley had never been graceful, or very fast; but now she was like a snake, striking with impossibly swift and deadly elegance.

The fight raged on for hours; Sibrina attacking, Hayley always defending. She predicted every of Sibrina's attacks and blocked accordingly, but rarely struck back. When she did however, she never held back; Sibrina had to use most of her chakra on substitution jutsu to keep herself from being killed.

The sun started to go down as dark clouds filled the sky as the two friends continued to fight; Sibrina ducked a kick just as thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Why don't you use your lightning?" Hayley demanded, not for the first time. "You're losing all your strength; at this rate you won't make it out of here alive." She sneered as she slammed her fist into Sibrina's chin, making her bite her tongue as she flew backwards.

Sibrina sat up slowly, wiping the blood from her mouth off on her shirt sleeve as she rose from the ground.

_It was just a stupid convention, _She thought suddenly as she stared at Hayley. _We should never have gone. _

"Oh?" Hayley quirked a brow, listening to her thoughts. "Because I've never been happier! You may not like how things have turned out, but I'm finally not a weak little girl," She tilted her head and grinned at Sibrina. "I have powers you can only _dream _of, Sibs. I don't have to be afraid anymore. I can protect everyone now." She said and Sibrina frowned, wondering what she meant, but she didn't have time for just then Hayley charged, letting out a fearsome war cry.

Sibrina cried out and jumped backwards, her hands forming the seals before she could even think. Before she realized what had happened, lightning exploded from her hands and straight at Hayley.

Hayley shrieked as she disappeared in an explosion of smoke, sent flying backwards as a huge crater opened up between the two of them.

Sibrina crouched to the ground, panting heavily as she tried to get her breath back. Hayley didn't move from where she lay across the clearing.

Sibrina's eyes widened in terror that she had really hurt her; she didn't know how Naruto could beat up Sasuke, even if it was for his own good. Every time she landed a blow on Hayley it felt like she was hitting herself in the gut.

_You've always been weak. _Hayley's voice murmured as the smoke finally cleared so she could see Hayley better.

When Hayley rose from the ground, Sibrina's heart stopped in terror.

Hayley stood up slowly, but she didn't look anything like herself anymore. Her hair had grown nearly to her waist and was a steel gray; her body had become leaner, more animal-like.

_Sasuke didn't transform this quickly in the anime! _Sibrina thought wildly. _Why is this happening so fast? Is it because we're outsiders?_

_ Maybe it's because I've been waiting for this day for a long time. I have dreamed about this for so long… now I'm finally in my true form. _Hayley's voice said quietly into her head.

Hayley stayed crouched over the ground, and Sibrina noticed for the first time her skin was now a blood red.

_Red; the color of passion, of hatred and anger. _Hayley's voice said. _There couldn't have been a more perfect color for me. _

Sibrina watched as Hayley suddenly stiffened, her back arching in agony as the muscles on her back rippled and shifted. Sibrina's eyes widened as two wings began to slowly emerge from her back.

They were not like Sasuke's, and didn't look as though they could hold her very well in the air; they were both larger then Hayley herself, and were thick and shaped more like bat wings then hands.

Hayley flapped them once and she lifted into the air, but quickly plummeted back down towards Sibrina, who stared up in confusion. If the wings weren't made for flying, then what purpose could they possibly serve?

As Hayley dropped from the sky, Sibrina panicked as she realized that Hayley was going to crash on her. She withdrew three shuriken and threw them at her as she flipped backwards, landing on her feet as she skidded on the grass.

Hayley's wings encircled her completely and the shuriken bounced off harmlessly as Hayley landed in the crater with a massive crash.

Sibrina ran to the side of the crater and peered down anxiously.

Where Hayley had landed, she had fallen several feet down into the earth; her blood-red wings covered her completely, forming a sphere around her.

She unfolded her wings and grinned up at Sibrina, whose eyes widened to see she was completely unhurt.

"I guess we both know what these wings are for," Hayley said. Sibrina ripped her eyes away from the wings Hayley's face.

She shrieked when she saw Hayley's eyes; they were no longer blue and blank, but were now completely black, devoid of all white.

As soon as she saw them she found herself standing in front of a large, black iron gate. Hayley, still in her beast form, looked over at Sibrina and smirked slightly, revealing sharp, pointed teeth as she threw open the gates with her clawed hands.

Sibrina writhed with agony as soon as Hayley's alien presence entered the depths of her mind and clutched at her head, screaming herself hoarse, unable to stand the burning agony.

Her last image of Hayley before she blacked out from the pain was of her standing behind the gates, grinning at her as her vision darkened, and she faded away.

---

Hayley withdrew from Sibrina's mind as soon as Sibrina passed out and stood over her. She peered up at the sky as it started to rain and rolled her black eyes.

_Of course. _She thought in annoyance. It was probably raining on Naruto and Sasuke right now.

She looked down at Sibrina and sighed as she spread her wings, shielding them both from the rain.

She had only restrained herself from killing her by force of will, barely managing to pull out in time before the pain killed Sibrina. She had already vowed to herself she would not kill again unless absolutely necessary; besides, she didn't think she had the strength to kill her best friend.

She stood there in the rain for a long time, staring at Sibrina. The sun was going down; she knew she didn't have much time before she had to go meet up with the Sound Five.

"I'm sorry," Hayley said softly as she reached up and undid her headband, holding it out in front of her.

She remembered how ecstatic she had been to receive it; she had sang and danced, leaping about the village in her joy; that seemed like an eternity ago.

She let it slip out of her hand, landing beside Sibrina in the mud. Hayley closed her eyes, folding her wings back into herself as the cursed seal faded.

When she re-opened them she was back to normal; she felt exhausted, and was almost out of chakra.

She stared down at Sibrina, her vision blurring as she turned her back and walked away.

---

"He's finally here," Someone muttered and Hayley raised her head as Sasuke walked up.

"Hey," Hayley greeted him quietly as he came over. He just blinked at her, his eyes unspeakably sad. Hayley knew she probably looked the same.

"Let's go," He said softly as he walked past her. Hayley went to follow and then hesitated, looking over her shoulder at the village she had sworn to protect.

_You're still protecting it, _She reminded herself, thinking of the nightmare. If she stayed away, she would save it.

"Don't look back," Sasuke murmured from behind her. "…it only makes it harder." He said softly as he kept walking.

Hayley swallowed and blinked hard as a tremor of fear thrummed through her as she thought about how hard the next two years of her life would be, before she saw Sibrina again. She knew they would meet again; they were tied together by fate. And the plot of the anime of course.

She took a deep breath and turned her back on her home as she followed Sasuke into the unknown.

---

**Author's Note:**

Well, that's the end of part one.

Hope you enjoyed- review, ne?

Also, quick question? Mainly out of curiosity, but do you think the Sai/Sibrina pairing is a good idea, or do you think I should pair her with someone else? Just wondering, because I know the Sai pairing is going to be hard to write, what with him being totally emotionless and all, so that'll be fun.

So yeah. Put anyone you think you would make a good pairing, but please no Akatsuki members (not sure how they'll fit into the plot) and no people just because they're hot- give me a legitimate reason, ne? =)

Ja ne,

LOSGAP =D

10


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note:**

*eats chapter* I hated this TT_TT

Gah. I have very little idea of Shippuden Sasuke's personality, as I haven't seen more then one episode (episode one) where he actually comes in. -_-' So if he acts OOC don't flame me, I'm working on it

Any tips on how to work with him would be appreciated though!

As for the Sibrina pairing, Naruto's got a pretty big lead, and quite frankly I like the idea of them together. ^^ They're just so cute together, especially since they both have the same goal to bring their best friend back and all that.

I'm pretty sure I'm gonna put them together, as I still don't really understand Sai (sorry Sibrina!) and… um. *sheepish look* …I don't really like him that much. I'M SORRY! *is attacked by Sibs* I still haven't been really struck by him, y'know? He's just kind of flat, right now at least. Oh well, if I ever start to like him I'll probably do another ff with him in it, so… yeah.

Wow this was a long author's note. I'm sorry. Go read now, and review, ne?

LOSGAP =D

* * *

Sibrina awoke with a start, staring at her ceiling for a moment before she finally stirred, stretching and yawning.

For a moment she sat in bed, staring blearily at the wall before she dragged herself out of bed, scowling at the world in general as she went to go grab some breakfast.

_Ugh. Ever since he got promoted, it's been no fun on the team without him. _She complained internally. She loved Choji like a brother and was becoming friends with Ino, but she missed Shikamaru terribly.

_Still… it's getting right around that time when Naruto comes back. _She thought, nearly bouncing on her toes in excitement.

It had been a slow two years; her days were spent training crazily, usually with her new team, Team Asuma. As Shikamaru was clearly on the fast road to Jonin, she was placed with them, as everyone knew they would soon be without one of their teammates. Since Team Kakashi was disbanded while Sakura trained under Tsunade and Naruto was out with Jiraiya, she had been sent to another team.

_Apparently I'm the only one not getting special training, _She grumbled to herself. She didn't really mind though; she was getting tons of field experience, and was glad for it. Besides, it helped her forget about Hayley.

She sighed when she glanced at the clock and dumped her bowl in the sink, knowing she was late to training and took off running.

---

"Ugh! Dammit Choji, gimme those chips!" Sibrina whined, tackling the impossibly large ninja.

"These are mine!" He protested.

"No they're not! I just bought those a minute ago!"

"And now they're mine." He said, holding them out of reach and continuing to eat as Sibrina jumped in a futile attempt to get them.

"You two pull this stuff all the time," Ino complained. "Can't you two grow up?" She demanded. Choji grinned at her from where he held Sibrina back with a single hand on her forehead as she continued to run in place.

"Nope." They both said as Sibrina attempted to trip him.

Ever since Shikamaru had left, he had taken Sibrina's main form of entertainment with him; he was just too fun to bug. Now she had to settle for squabbling with Choji over a bag of chips. It was still fun, but not quite as fan as Shikamaru.

"Oi, Sibrina!" She stiffened at the familiar voice and her eyes grew wide as she turned around, Choji and the stolen chips forgotten.

"Kakashi?" Sibrina said in shock as said masked ninja wandered over. "Long time no see," He said, tilting his head, clearly smiling under the mask.

"What's up?" Sibrina asked, forcing herself to remain calm. She'd only seen Kakashi twice over the past two years; it was so good to see her old friend again.

"I need you to come to Lady Tsunade's office tonight," He explained. "I've got something to tell you," He said and Sibrina's breath stilled.

_Naruto's back! _She thought, resisting the urge to squeal as she nodded to Kakashi and promptly darted off, ready to tear the village apart in search of her old friend.

---

It took her only five minutes before she found him.

Or more specifically, he found her.

"Sibrina!" She looked up in shock as he leaped down from the post, landing in front of her with an excited grin.

"Naruto!" Sibrina shrieked, tackling him in a glomp Hayley would have been proud of. It was odd how she could think of Hayley with fondness now, instead of that same old pain.

"I missed you!" Sibrina exclaimed. She knew that no one ever really said those words to Naruto, and was happy to tell him the truth as she hugged him tightly. Naruto laughed and patted her head. "I missed you too," He said, grinning at her.

"Tell Sakura she looks gorgeous," Sibrina said seriously and Naruto frowned curiously at her as she leaped up when Sakura found them.

"I see you already got to say hi to him," She said, smiling slightly at Sibrina. It had been two years since she had seen the pinkette; she had to admit, she looked a lot more bad-ass.

"Yup." Sibrina nodded with a grin.

"Long time no see!" Naruto grinned as he trotted up to Sakura. Sibrina glanced around him at Konohamaru and smiled slightly. She really loved that kid; he was just like a mini Naruto.

_I am seriously gonna adopt that kid. _She thought.

"You've gotten taller, haven't you?" Sakura asked and Naruto blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, I guess I have." He admitted with a little laugh.

"So what do you think? Do I seem more like a woman to you now?" Sakura asked, blushing lightly. Sibrina held her breath that Naruto would remember what she said. He opened his mouth to say something and then glanced at Sibrina vehemently shaking her head just behind Sakura, who was oblivious to the exchange.

"Uh… yeah! You look gorgeous!" He said it with such enthusiasm it was hard to believe Sibrina had just made him say it.

_Way to go! _Sibrina crowed silently, glad to have avoided that little mishap. She would have to train Naruto how to talk to girls; though she had to admit his clueless-ness was rather adorable sometimes.

_Speaking of clueless… _She thought, sweat dropping as Konohamaru showed him his new sexy jutsu.

She flinched, despite herself, as Naruto was sent flying through the air with a solid punch from Sakura.

_Just like always. _She thought, shaking her head in amusement as he went flipping through the air.

---

Sasuke opened the door and poked his head in, his relief hidden under his usual expressionless mask when he finally spotted Hayley.

She was sitting quietly in a corner, her shirt in one hand and a needle in the other. He noted that she was wearing his old shirt he'd abandoned shortly after they had arrived; he wondered briefly where she had found it. The oddest part was that it fit her.

"Hey," She greeted him, lifting her head to grin at him. In the flickering lamplight, her black eye stood out in vivid contrast against her pale skin. His fists clenched at his sides.

"You really need to stop taunting him." He accused her as he came over to sit down on the bed, wondering what she was doing.

"Yeah… but that was pretty funny." Hayley admitted, wincing as she smiled a little wider.

He sighed and gave her a disapproving look. He hated that Hayley got herself hit on a regular basis because she simply couldn't keep her mouth shut; the part he hated most was that he couldn't fight back. He had to let Orochimaru believe he was his little pet. Though he knew that Orochimaru would have her face healed in a day or two, he still hated the way he taught her to respect him.

"I mean, come on! He has a giant snake, Sasuke. How can I _not _make jokes?" Hayley asked, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

"Still, is it really worth getting hit over?" Sasuke asked, unable to mask the concern he felt. At this rate Orochimaru was going to do something worse then letting Kabuto hit her.

"Of course it is; relax. He's not going to kill me or anything serious; I'm much too valuable." She said it with such confidence it was hard not to believe her, though he still felt uneasy. Hayley was too sure of herself; Orochimaru wasn't above beating a child if they thought they were better then him, which Hayley clearly thought she did.

She gave him another smile, and he noted, not for the first time, the way her eyes crinkled at the corners. The corners of his lips turned down slightly. He was well aware with how fast Hayley seemed to be aging, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

She returned to whatever she was doing to her shirt and he finally remembered the question that had crossed his mind earlier.

"What are you doing?" He asked, unable to figure it out. She held up the shirt for his inspection, and he realized that the white tube top now had the beginnings of something sewed onto the back.

"What is that?" Sasuke asked and Hayley frowned, looking offended.

"It's a butterfly." She sniffed. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in a silent question. Hayley rolled her eyes and set the project down.

"My outfit's too plain." She complained. Sasuke didn't bother to point out the massive purple rope belt she wore; that didn't seem plain to him.

"So I have decided to add a butterfly." She said with a smile; again, she flinched ever so slightly as she returned to her work. He noted that the butterfly was an emerald green, the same color as Aoihime's ribbon.

He waited in silence, knowing she would ramble on eventually and tell him why she had picked a butterfly.

She frowned at him, looking disappointed. "You're not gonna ask? Really?" She pouted, and then shrugged. "Of course you won't. You're _Sasuke Uchiha. _Saying what's on your mind is beneath you." That almost made him smile.

"Anyway, I've always loved butterflies," Hayley said, continuing to sew. "Did you know they represent free spirits?" She asked, glancing up at him. Somehow she knew his blank expression indicated a "no" and she nodded to herself, returning to her work.

"I've always imagined I'm a free spirit," She said. "I don't like being cooped up, or being restrained at all." She said and Sasuke nodded slightly. The description fit her.

"I hope I come back as a butterfly," She said suddenly and he frowned at her. He didn't believe in all that nonsense about coming back as something, and almost voiced his opinion, but then he noted the ways her eyes had gone soft as she continued to talk.

"I mean, most people would assume I'd want to come back as a horse, which wouldn't be too bad, but I'd prefer a butterfly. Because I could just flit wherever I want, and not have to worry about a single thing." The lines had faded from around her eyes as she smiled briefly.

The moment was quickly ruined by her face suddenly going pale, her eyes widening in horror. Sasuke automatically glanced over his shoulder, checking for any signs of danger, but they were alone. He turned back to her, wanting to know what was wrong, and she held up her hand.

"…needle…" Her voice was weak. She looked like she was about to pass out. Sasuke saw the needle sticking out of her index finger and rolled his eyes.

"Pull it out." He scoffed and she stared at him. "I can't." She breathed and Sasuke sighed, leaning over to pluck the needle out of her finger.

Now she _really _looked like she was about to pass out. Her skin turned almost translucent, the black eye contrasting even more to her alabaster skin.

"It's… bleeding…" She couldn't seem to look at her finger and was staring at the ceiling, working her jaw. Sasuke was now completely confused. He'd seen Hayley lie in a puddle of her own blood and sit up, begging to do it again; there was only a tiny bead of blood on her finger, and she was acting like she was dying.

"So?" He asked, still not seeing the point. That was always frustrating; he could read most people like an open book, but Hayley was always managing to surprise him.

"It's barely a scratch." Sasuke snorted in annoyance, leaning back to drape his arm over his knee and stare off into space, ignoring her panic attack.

"Needles and I do _not _get along," Hayley said hoarsely. He glanced at her, his lips quirking downwards with confusion, but he didn't press it. He sat in silence while she got a grip on herself, not asking if she was ok. She didn't need him to hold her hand; besides, he'd already worried about her once today and didn't feel like working up the energy to do it again.

Hayley went back to work after a few minutes, albeit it a bit more carefully. She didn't ask him why he was still there; she knew. This _was _his bedroom after all, and it was fairly late. She often came in here to do things instead of in her own room; he didn't even bother to ask why.

He wasn't tired enough to sleep yet, and was content to just stretch out on his bed, arms crossed under his head, staring at the ceiling, listening to the steady rhythm of Hayley's needle passing through the fabric.

"I never even learned to sew," Hayley muttered after a few minutes of silence. "I've been trying to teach myself for almost a week." He glanced at her and she held up her hand to reveal many different little scabs where she'd pricked herself at least a dozen other times.

"I'm much better at knitting, but I haven't done it in years. I think I forgot how to." She mused. "I need to learn that again, but I don't know who would know how."

There was a longer silence as she continued to sew.

"Maybe Kabuto? He strikes me as the type who would know something like that." She said after a minute or so.

He sensed she was going to say something a little deeper, so he waited. Hayley was a master of beating around the bush before she said something with a point.

She paused in her sewing again. "My mom was the one who taught me to knit," She said softly. That piqued his interest and he glanced over at her. Hayley almost never spoke of her family.

"She said I was good at it too," She said, smiling softly down at her work, lost in memories. "I never finished anything I ever started," She admitted with a laugh. "I wasted so much yarn. She never got mad though; I think it was because I was the only one who had any interest in it, and she loved teaching me."

Sasuke wondered why she was telling him this all of a sudden; she rarely opened up to him, not after that night before they had left Konoha. She'd become almost shy around him.

"I don't even know why I'm babbling like this," Hayley sighed. "I guess I just can't focus on this damn thing." She tossed the sewing aside and sighed, placing her head in her chin and frowning thoughtfully at him. "Maybe I'm finally starting to get a little lonely." She mused.

Sasuke frowned slightly at her and turned back to staring at the ceiling, as he was prone to do.

He sensed her moving and didn't acknowledge it, even as she came and sat down beside him on his bed. He blinked at her as she poked her head into his vision. Her hair tickled against his face as she tilted her head, smiling at him. He tilted his head slightly back as she leaned down and kissed him gently.

He liked kissing her. It was one of the few things that reminded him he was still alive, still human. He liked the way she always reacted like it was his _honor _to kiss her, and made sure he knew she could end it at any time. Even now she was pushing against him, challenging him, forcing him to retreat slightly back.

He didn't know, or really care, if they were dating or anything. All he knew was that he liked doing this with her.

She ended it abruptly, leaning her forehead against his, her breathing fast and ragged. He was trying to keep himself calm, but his chest heaved as well. Her kisses made him feel more alive then any fight he'd ever been in.

Her eyes always turned bright whenever they kissed; they were almost turquoise now and burning with an emotion he couldn't identify. She gave him one of her trademark Hayley grins before she kissed him again.

6


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note:**

Gah, sorry this update took so long! D:

Had a lot of personal problems lately and just couldn't focus on fanfiction, but now I'm getting better so hopefully updates will be faster.

Well, hope you enjoy, please review! ^^ No flames please :D

LOSGAP =D

PS.

I've noticed has been deleting my paragraph breakers sometimes, so if it seems like it's all jumbled I apologize, is stupid sometimes.

"La la la… la la… la…la!" Hayley, when bored, became annoyance personified. Sasuke seemed intent on ignoring her though, so Hayley was forced to sing louder.

"LA LA LA LA! LA! LA! LA!" Sasuke abruptly clamped a hand over her mouth. She blinked at him and waited for him to _finally_ blow up.

"Stop it." She frowned in annoyance as his voice was, as per usual, completely flat and expressionless. In two years, he had never yelled at her, and was the first person Hayley had ever known not to do so; it was disorienting and just plain strange to her. She cocked her head, grinning at him. She _would _get an explosion out of the Uchiha boy, if it killed her.

_Hmm. Maybe that's a bad way to put it? _Hayley wondered, eyeing the sword on Sasuke's back.

The fact they both had swords annoyed Hayley somewhat; she'd had one first, damn it! Didn't she get dibs on being the awesome sword person?

_Well, I guess he doesn't care about copying people, what with the sharingan and all. _She thought, scowling.

"Can we _please _set up camp?" Hayley whined. "The sun's finally going down; there's no one nearby." She said, stopping her scan for minds and glancing over at Sasuke.

"You want to camp in the middle of a trail?" Sasuke asked and Hayley rolled her eyes. "Well not right _here_, dumb ass, I meant the next remotely suitable spot. My feet are killing me." Hayley complained.

Sasuke was silent as usual as they walked, Hayley's eyes scanning eagerly for a suitable place to make camp.

A short while later they found a small clearing and set up camp there, much to Hayley's relief.

Hayley yawned massively as she set up her bedroll and sat down cross legged on it, frowning into the fire Sasuke and she had built. She watched Sasuke discreetly as he sat down on his own bedroll across from her, staring into the flames.

"You're not hurt anywhere else, right?" Hayley asked and Sasuke shook his head mutely, not even glancing up. Hayley sighed quietly and withdrew Aoihime to clean off the blood-stained blade, ignoring how badly her stomach churned at the sight.

"I'll never get used to this," Hayley murmured, wiping off the blade with a cloth she kept with her for just this reason. "I know we didn't kill them, but…" She bit her lip and stared into the flames.

She was dead tired of being Orochimaru's slave, hurting and sometimes killing perfectly good people. She avoided death as much as she could, but sometimes the cursed seal overpowered her sanity and she would kill again.

"We'll get away someday, right?" Hayley asked quietly, not daring to look up. Sasuke remained as silent as always.

"Don't tell me you don't dream of freedom too?" Hayley asked, forcing herself to meet his expressionless black eyes. "What do you want to do as soon as we get out of here?" She tried.

"Kill Itachi." Sasuke replied curtly. "And after that?" Hayley prodded. Sasuke just blinked at her.

"After I help you with that," Hayley said, returning to cleaning and feeling her stomach clench. Her decision to help Sasuke in his quest for vengeance sickened her to no end, but she knew he would never rest until Itachi was dead. And she would never be able to rest until Sasuke did.

"I want to go back to Konoha," Hayley said firmly, laying Aoihime by her bedroll, so she could easily grab it if they were attacked in the middle of the night.

"Get married, have a family, be the world's most kick-ass ninja, the usual." Hayley said with a wistful smile. The idea of settling down in Konoha never failed to give her the strength to keep going. Living in a big house with a dog and a backyard and a garden all her neighbors would be horribly jealous of.

She leaned back on her hands and stared into the flames. Could it really be that easy? After this nightmare was over, could she finally relax somewhere? Be happy for a change?

She looked at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye. She wondered if he thought about settling down with her; she knew they were only fifteen, but didn't Japanese people marry early? Besides, Sasuke would need a wife to rebuild the Uchiha clan and all that.

Was _that _the reason she had been sent into the Naruto world? To help Sasuke rebuild the clan? Her brow puckered in thought. Her apparent lack of purpose in this world had kept her awake at night for years; why would she and Sibrina be suddenly cast into this world? Hayley hoped it wasn't to help Orochimaru; she would die before she allowed that to happen. A question flickered across her mind and she frowned.

Had Sibrina found her purpose?

She rolled over and closed her eyes, sighing quietly to herself. Wherever Sibrina was, she hoped Sibrina knew why she was here, because Hayley sure as hell didn't.

OOO

It was as though the fates had heard her bedtime musings and had decided to toss her another riddle, just to screw with her. For she reopened her eyes to find herself in a dark forest.

Hayley stared at the fire rushing towards her, her eyes widening. In a panic she turned and fled, not realizing that this was just a dream. She fled from the fire, feeling its scorching tongues licking at the backs of her legs and clothes. She ran faster, scrambling through the dark forest, screaming for help though there was no one to hear her.

She skidded to a halt in front of Konoha's gates and stared up in terror as the flames arched around her, reaching eagerly for the village.

But then a great wind roared back in retaliation and raced from the village, slamming into the fire and pushing it back. Hayley held her breath, watching nature fight with itself. The wind and fire whipped together in a fiery inferno of terror and destruction, charring the forest around them.

"Stop!" Hayley shrieked, knowing the flame and wind had to stop fighting. She stared at the village in terror, knowing she had to protect it from them. She raced towards the fighting forces, screaming for them to stop.

OOO

Sibrina groaned and flopped onto the ground, staring tiredly ahead. She turned her head, watching as Naruto stood up and stormed away from Sai, who watched him with expressionless eyes. To her surprise Naruto tossed his pack down beside hers and sat down next to her.

"I swear, he gets on my last nerve." Naruto snarled, resting his arm on his drawn up knee, staring ahead at nothing.

Sibrina glanced over at the pale emotionless boy and swallowed a squeal. This was her dream come true, sleeping in the same room as her favorite Naruto character of all time (besides her beloved Itachi of course, though she admitted Sai was more attractive), but it felt more like a nightmare.

In the anime, it had been fine, funny even, to hear Sai put down Sasuke. But to hear someone put down Sasuke and Hayley in real life killed her inside. She probably would have hit him herself if Sakura hadn't beaten her to it.

_Peh. Men. _She scoffed inwardly. She would beat some manners into Sai, she thought with an evil grin. Yes, he would become a total gentleman when she was through with him.

She fought a smile as she looked over at the already sleeping form of Yamato, curled up with his back to the rest of the team. Another of her favorite characters that she could proudly call her sensei; he was admittedly a lot scarier in person sometimes, but under all that she loved him to bits.

_One of these days, I _will _glomp him. _She thought, cackling inwardly. He was just another on her long "to glomp" list. She stroked an imaginary goatee. The only one she had ever actually glomped was Naruto, but that had been because she was overjoyed to see him. She was actually painfully shy and the idea of glomping anyone else was scary.

"I hate how he talks about Hayley and Sasuke like he knew them," Naruto growled, interrupting her bizarre musings.

Sibrina nodded, leaning back against the cool wood wall and turning her head to look at him. Sibrina had never really found Naruto attractive, but he wasn't exactly homely either. Though Hayley had insisted on referring to him as a sexy beast, she thought with a small smile. Naruto, oblivious to her dwelling on mental images of him dripping wet and shirtless, continued.

"I mean, it's not like they're never coming back." He said, crossing his arms behind his head. He gave her a big grin. "We'll drag them both back by their hair if we have to, won't we?" Sibrina blinked, surprised by the sudden question before she smiled weakly at him, shaking off the mental images of before.

_Damn you Hayley, your perverted nature rubbed off!_

She smiled and nodded at him. "Of course we will." She replied confidentially. Naruto beamed at her as he stretched, yawning widely.

"Well, our first step of that journey starts tomorrow, so let's get some shut-eye- night," He mumbled sleepily, already closing his eyes. Sibrina smiled softly at his already half-asleep form and curled up beside him, closing her own eyes. "Night." She murmured in reply.

OOO

Hayley sat up with a gasp and wiped a hand down her sweaty face, shaking and out of breath. She stiffened in shock when arms wrapped around her, holding her close.

"Stop screaming," A voice murmured in her ear. "You'll wake up everything in a ten mile radius."

"Gee, and here I thought you were worried about me. Silly me," Hayley muttered, slumping back against him and letting out a shaky breath.

Sasuke was silent, but at least he didn't let her go and let her lay against him, shuddering with fear. She was getting better at stopping the tremors, but now they racked her body as she fought uselessly against them, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, trying to dispel the dream from her mind.

Great, now there was another piece to the riddle. Awesome. She had decided that the fire had represented the destruction of Konoha, but what was the wind? The villagers?

Hayley closed her eyes and forced herself to think clearly. Perhaps the fire represented Orochimaru and his followers? And the wind was the ninja of Konoha?

She paled. Did that mean she would lead an attack against Konoha?

Unable to stifle a whimper of fear she buried her face in her hands, still trembling.

Sasuke was silent, but she felt his arms tighten slightly, comforting her in his own way. She leaned against him and sighed. She wished she could tell him about the dream, but she knew he would never believe her; the only one she could talk to was Sibrina, who was miles away and probably wanted nothing to do with her. She couldn't blame her; after all, Hayley had almost killed her the last time they had seen each other.

"Talk to me," Hayley murmured, wanting a distraction as she turned her head, pressing her cheek against Sasuke's bare chest. Even with her present, he still slept shirtless, she thought in amusement.

_Whore._

"About what?" Sasuke asked quietly. Hayley stared into the glowing embers of the fire and thought about their conversation before she had fallen asleep. "Tell me what you want to do after killing Itachi," Hayley decided. "Or I'll extract the answers myself." She said without much threat behind her words. It seemed to work though; Sasuke probably still remembered her last invasion of his mind, she thought with a grimace. Their time back in Konoha seemed a lifetime away.

Sasuke shifted, settling her more comfortable against him as his hand moved absentmindedly up and down her arm, sending shivers down her spine.

"As I've already told you, I'm going to rebuild the Uchiha clan," He said. "Will you go back to Konoha?" Hayley asked. Sasuke stiffened slightly. "I don't think they'll want us back there."

Though she loved the way he said "us" when he really meant "me", she couldn't help but not like the implications of that. "What do you mean? Half of Konoha tried to bring us back; they're _still _trying." She protested. She tilted her head to meet his eyes; the normally flat onyx looked almost… _sad._

"We're S-ranked missing nin," Sasuke murmured. "We're criminals in every sense of the word. Even if Naruto and Sibrina welcome us back, our punishment will be harsh. We may even be executed." Hayley shook her head vehemently. "That's not true!" She exclaimed. "Tsunade would never allow it! Neither would Naruto! And he's far too valuable for Tsunade to just ignore him; hell, you and I are too valuable to be put down like dogs!" Hayley was aware she probably sounded insane as she continued to list reasons as to why they would have to stay alive, but she kept going.

"The sharingan would die with you," Hayley insisted. "And so would my mind-reading powers. If we were killed, who knows what Naruto would do? And Sibrina?" Hayley demanded. Sasuke just blinked at her. "Even if they didn't kill us, would you be willing to live like that? No one would ever trust us again." He murmured. Hayley swallowed. The village she was willing to give anything to protect… shun her? The thought scared her to death.

"I don't care," Hayley hissed, dispelling those thoughts. "You trust me. That's all I need." She said firmly. Sasuke stared at her as she went on. "I know at least Naruto would trust us," Hayley said, though her voice shook. She and Sasuke had fallen so far; it wouldn't surprise her if Naruto didn't trust them. You could love, but not trust; she had done so herself. Hell, she was doing the same with Sasuke.

Hayley pulled back and sat on her heels, so that she was at eye level with Sasuke.

"I know you don't believe me, but I think it would work out," Hayley said softly. "After all this shit with Itachi and Orochimaru is over, we can go _home._" She put her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. "I need to have somewhere I belong, Sasuke." Her voice trembled. She never opened up to Sasuke anymore, not after that night, but now she was baring herself to him and didn't care. It had been far too long since she had wanted to act so human.

To her surprise, Sasuke cupped her cheek in one hand and blinked down at her, the hard lines around his eyes softening slightly.

"Maybe we'll go back one day," He agreed quietly. "But not for a while. There's too much I have to do." His eyes were serious as he looked down at her. "I need to know though. If you want to go back so badly, then why not go now? While we're away from Orochimaru?" He asked.

Hayley tipped her head back as he edged closer, looking down at her with questions burning in his coal black eyes. The thought of just running away and abandoning Sasuke had been so tempting it hurt sometimes; but she knew she couldn't do it. She wouldn't have made it ten feet without coming right back. Though she hated herself sometimes for it, she needed him, and hoped that maybe he needed her.

Even though she couldn't forget how used she had felt when Sasuke had admitted to "dating" her just so he wouldn't have to be alone, she had to admit she had partly used him for the same reason. The thought of going to Orochimaru was less scary if she wasn't alone in her fight.

"I can't," She said weakly. Feeling the moment was getting too heavy she cracked a smile. "Who else would keep your ego in check?" She teased. Sasuke looked annoyed. "Stop hiding behind those stupid little wisecracks." He growled. "Tell me. Why do you stay with me? No one would put up with Orochimaru without a reason. I do it because he is the key to killing Itachi. Now tell me why." Sasuke demanded.

_Boy, when you want answers, you _really _want answers. _

She could tell him the truth. That she was in love with him, and was willing to walk through hell so long as she was walking beside him. But she knew Sasuke wouldn't believe her; hell, if he told her right now that he loved her she probably wouldn't believe him.

Sasuke was silent, waiting for an answer.

"Because, I…" She looked down, unable to answer. Several witty remarks danced behind her lips but she restrained them, deciding she didn't want to anger him further.

"I want to know why you go so far for me," Sasuke said, more softly. "When I have never asked for that kind of loyalty."

"For the same reason Naruto did," Hayley said and Sasuke stiffened slightly at the mention of his best friend's name. Hayley remembered Sasuke asking Naruto the same question when they had fought and raised her eyes to meet his.

"Because I'm your friend," She said, smiling crookedly. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, his obsidian orbs flickering with firelight.

Not wanting to be bothered with more questions she wasn't ready to answer she leaned forward and kissed him gently. "Go to sleep," She suggested quietly between kisses, brushing her lips softly against his. "I'm tired. I promise I won't scream anymore," She said as she pulled back.

For a few moments Sasuke just looked at her before nodding once and getting up to walk back to his bedroll. Hayley felt suddenly colder as she curled up with her back to him, murmuring a good night as she drifted off.

6


	23. Chapter 23

Sibrina refused to look up, keeping her face carefully blank and neutral as she avoided looking at Sai, so he wouldn't see how his casual insults stung her.

_Does he _have _to be so horrible? _She wondered, yet again, looking at the floor and studiously ignoring him.

To keep her mind off of him, she calculated in her head around what episode they were in.

_Well Yamato built this awesome house we're staying in, and Naruto hasn't shown his K_y_uubi form _y_et, so around the early fifties? _She guessed, frowning in concentration. She wished she had a clearer idea; it had been two years since she watched Naruto though, and her memory was fuzzy at best. It came with benefits though; she didn't think she would enjoy always knowing what the characters were about to say or do.

"Hey, Earth to Sibrina!" Naruto exclaimed suddenly, waving his hand in front of her face and jerking her back to the present. She blinked owlishly at him as he frowned at her.

"You ok?" He asked, looking at her in concern. "Yeah," she said slowly, frowning. "Why?"

Naruto jerked his head and pointed to everyone else already curled up on their bedrolls and she sweat dropped. "Oh. Yeah. Bed-time." She said flatly. Naruto grinned at her and ruffled her hair, surprising her. "You're a regular space cadet, you know?" He laughed as he got up.

"We're almost to the bridge, so get some sleep," He added. Sibrina offered him a small smile, surprised and pleased by his concern as she pulled out her bedroll.

OOO

Sasuke crossed his arms behind his head, annoyed by the fact he couldn't sleep.

Orochimaru had gotten upset with Hayley (again) and as a result had sent her off on her own mission, the details of which Sasuke didn't know, but he bet it was an assassination, as Hayley utterly despised those.

He hadn't seen her in three days, and was frustrated with how odd he felt about it- he'd been separated from her before, and he always got annoyed with how little he could sleep, or how often he listened for her to chime in whenever it got too quiet, just to fill the silence with her mindless chatter.

He missed her, though he wouldn't admit it, even to himself.

He lifted his head to stare out the open window in his room; a luxury in this God-forsaken place, but Orochimaru spoiled him to keep him obedient.

It was currently past midnight, so the splash of color against the black sky surprised him. He frowned at it, wondering what it was.

As though it had been waiting for him to notice it, it flew up and into the room, spinning around the ceiling in nervous circles. Even the small butterfly could sense the evil in this place. He wondered what it was doing here in the middle of the night.

The bright orange butterfly seemed to spot him, for it flew towards him and to his surprise and annoyance it landed directly on his nose.

He was glad no one was there to see him crossing his eyes, trying to see the damn thing.

He lifted his hand to shoo it away but he finally noticed a tiny piece of paper caught in its small legs. He frowned, and the butterfly lifted up into the air again to drop the paper into his hand before flying swiftly out the window, probably eager to get out of this dark place.

He stared after it, wondering if he was finally going insane, and then looked back at the paper.

It was no bigger then his little finger, rolled into a small tube- he wondered how it had managed to carry it, and _wh_y.

He carefully unrolled the paper, squinting at it to read a faint message scrawled in tiny spidery script.

_I'm ok. – H_

For the first time in a while, he found a soft smile lift his features. Of course.

OOO

"Good job, my friend," Hayley whispered into the night as she opened her eyes, removing herself from the butterfly's mind. She smiled to herself, deciding that possessing that butterfly just to get a message to Sasuke was worth it, if only because she got to see him crossing his eyes goofily.

_I'll have to do that more often. _She thought as she curled up on her bedroll, staring into the dark forest around her and silently willing herself to sleep.

OOO

It was nightfall when she stumbled into Sasuke's room.

"Sasuke?" She called, frowning around the room. She sighed, seeing it was empty.

"Probably out training," She muttered, tossing her bag down and settling on his bed. She had gotten quickly out of the habit of leaping into bed, seeing as how they were little more then mats on the floor, and the end result was painful.

She turned her head into his pillow and inhaled, her shoulders relaxing as his scent flooded her, soothing her frayed nerves.

She still had that odd, detached feeling she got after a kill. Her mind was protecting her from feeling the guilt for as long as possible- the more she put it off, the harder it would be when the gates broke and the pain flooded her.

One of the results of her childhood was her ability to shut down any feeling and file it away to be dealt with later. She lacked a thick skin, if anything she was oversensitive, and this proved useful during a battle when her enemy would taunt her- she could ignore it and just kill him without feeling anything until afterwards.

Right now all her memories of the assassination were tightly bottled up, locked away deep in her mind. She would pay for her temporary peace when the bottle broke and flooded her with tons of pain, but for now she was grateful for her numbness.

She lay quietly, breathing in Sasuke's scent, calming her mind like a drug.

_He's gonna kill me for those damn butterflies. _She thought, smiling. After the first successful butterfly, she had decided to do it whenever she got bored- which was often.

She didn't wait until he was alone- she usually waited until he was talking to someone or trying to be all bad-ass before having the butterfly sit on his head, or preferably swarming him in large groups.

_Packs? Herds? What do you call a group of butterflies? _Hayley wondered randomly.

She yawned, exhausted, deciding she would sleep here and to hell with Sasuke, he could find somewhere else to sleep. She hated her room- Orochimaru always made sure to house her as close to the prisons as possible, so her sleep was punctuated with the agonized screams of the dying.

She shuddered at the thought, and jumped when the door suddenly swung open. She sat up, refusing to be embarrassed at being caught in here.

"Sasuke?" She said in surprise, unable to see him clearly in the dim light. She sensed for his chakra and relaxed when she felt it.

"About time you got here; it's the middle of the night and you get up at the crack of dawn- you're gonna run yourself into the ground at this rate." She lectured as Sasuke dropped his bag and sword. She frowned at the loud clang of metal as his sword slammed into the ground; it wasn't like him to just drop it carelessly.

"Sasuke, you ok?" She asked, standing up, wishing she could see him clearly as she came towards him.

He took one step towards her and she started when he leaned against her, stiffening as he pressed his face into her shoulder and stood motionless like that, all his weight on her.

"Geez, I wasn't gone _that_ long." She muttered in surprise, blushing heavily as she awkwardly wrapped her arms around him, unused to such a display of affection.

She frowned when her hands brushed his back; his shirt felt ragged and stiff under her fingers and she ran her hands across it, her eyes widening when they touched something warm and sticky.

Trembling, she raised her hand to stare at it; in the pale moonlight she could barely see, but well enough to recognize the all-too familiar liquid.

"Sasuke, you're bleeding," She breathed in horror, and he made no reply. Suddenly afraid she wrapped her arms around him and carried him the best she could to his bed, laying him down gently and fumbling in the dark for the torches always on the wall.

"Damn it, light already!" She hissed under her breath, hating the flint tools they used to light fires. Would it kill Orochimaru to spring for a match?

Finally, the torch sprang to life and she used it to light the others until the room was reasonably well lit.

"This is so stupid, what are, we cavemen?" She muttered, hating the lack of electricity in Orochimaru's hideouts.

Once she could see she came to kneel beside Sasuke's still form, frowning at him critically.

This wasn't the first time he'd come to her battered and bloodied- he argued that he got his best training when he pushed himself that hard, to the point he was nearly bleeding to death and exhausted beyond reason.

Sighing, she carefully removed his shirt, frowning at his drawn face, eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed slightly, which meant he was in a considerable amount of pain- he rarely so much as winced.

"Sasuke, how many times do I have to tell you to quit pushing yourself so hard?" She murmured, assessing his injuries.

They were mostly superficial; no vital organs seemed to be hit, but the cuts were deep, and some she realized were made by needles, which meant there was a good chance he was poisoned.

"Most girls come home to a hug and a kiss," She muttered, scowling at Sasuke to hide her worry. "I get to come back to _this." _She rolled her eyes and put her hands above his chest, channeling her chakra and watching her hands glow a gentle green.

She wasn't the best medical ninja- in fact these injuries were the most she trusted herself to heal. But she was unwilling to learn Orochimaru's healing techniques, and though she refused to admit it, she was inept at this.

The wounds were quick to heal at least, but his skin was sallow and his veins stood out clearly. She looked down at him, wondering what else she could do for him. While healing him she had sensed poison in his system, and was grateful that she recognized it- it was a common poison, used in needles to paralyze the body and make it harder for blood to clot, making small wounds deadly.

She fumbled around in her bag, searching for the antidote that worked for several poisons, including this one. That was the only thing of Orochimaru's she willingly used- his medical teams were extraordinary, she couldn't imagine how much effort it had taken to make such a medicine as this.

She gently applied the salve, wincing at the idea of the antidote burning through his system- she'd had it used on herself once, and the pain was agonizing.

She stood and went in search of cloths and water to clean Sasuke off; his skin was dark and crusted with sweat and blood, and she knew how uncomfortable he was.

OOO

When she returned a short while later, Sasuke was awake, staring at the ceiling, working his jaw.

"Hey there gorgeous," Hayley greeted him easily, not letting him see her relief as she came beside him and gently began cleaning off the healed wounds, checking him for a fever.

He turned his head limply to watch her, his eyes dull coal set deep into his head.

"How was training?" She asked, gently removing dried blood from his side. He just blinked at her, knowing she didn't really care about the answer.

She glowered at him. "This better not happen again, or I may just let you die next time."

"I need to train hard so I can kill Itachi." Sasuke said, his voice barely above a whisper. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"It'd be a little hard to kill him if you're dead." She muttered, scrubbing harder then necessary. Sasuke gave her a tired, but still potent, glare and she lightened up slightly, though gave him a glower back.

She worked in silence for a while, before he finally stirred when she was almost done.

His hand twitched, and she glanced at it, glad he was getting some of the feeling back in his limbs, and returned her attention back to cleaning the last stubborn mark on his neck.

"I'm not cleaning your hair," She muttered, and was about to launch into a rant on how she wasn't his damn mother when she felt a gentle touch on her cheek and froze.

"You have blood on your face." Sasuke said quietly. Hayley laid her hand gently over his and sighed, not meeting his eyes.

They stayed like that a moment, a silent message passing through them. He slowly removed his hand, leaving the washcloth behind and Hayley leaned away from him, rubbing her face self-consciously and swiping off the blood, shuddering when she realized it wasn't her own.

"Get some sleep," She mumbled, struggling up to her feet and wincing as her legs cracked and popped beneath her- kneeling for an hour was more tiring then most of her training.

She turned to go and started when his hand was suddenly on her wrist and she turned to him, blinking in tired surprise.

Sasuke stared silently up on her, his eyebrows furrowed slightly in what almost looked like concern.

"I'm fine," She said, though her voice trembled and she swallowed, forcing a small smile. Sasuke's fingers tightened around her wrist.

"Are you inviting me to stay with you?" Hayley asked, looking at him slyly. She'd never been able to take an act of kindness or concern seriously, always remembering to make sure it wasn't a joke.

Sasuke blinked up at her, his eyes unreadable.

"This is incredibly indecent of you," She grinned. This sparked a faint look of annoyance in Sasuke's gaze.

"It was incredibly indecent of you to use that much of the antidote," He accused her and she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, fine." She waved her hand. "But when Orochimaru gets jealous that I slept with you before he did, he's gonna kill me."

She settled down beside him, oddly comfortable with him. This wasn't the first time she'd curled up with Sasuke- it was a fairly common arrangement, though it was rare that Sasuke had her stay, as it was usually Hayley slipping in uninvited, complaining of cold to mask the true reason. Sasuke kept the nightmares away, though she'd never tell him that.

So she turned her back to his, as was the usual position they took, at least until she was sure he was asleep before she curled up closer to his luxuriously warm body.

She stiffened when she felt him rolling over, slowly, as though it were difficult, and her eyes widened as his arm slipped around her middle and she felt his breath on the back of her neck.

"Sasuke…" She squeaked, alarmed. His skin was icy, and she could feel herself shivering at the mere touch of it.

So he _wasn't _worried about her, he was just cold, the selfish bastard. She rolled her eyes but leaned herself back into him, shivering as her skin brushed his freezing chest.

"You're such a perv," She mumbled sleepily. Sasuke didn't respond, and she listened to his deep, even breathing, realizing he was already asleep.

"Sweet dreams," She muttered, torn between amusement and annoyance as she closed her own eyes.

OOO

**Author's Note:**

I'm alive! :D

Gah, I'm sooooo sorry about the lack of updates for pretty much all of my stories. Ugh. You guys have NO idea how horrible life has been for me lately, it was so hard to write this chapter.

I'm sorry if it was too lovey-dovey, I'm in a self-indulgent mood, trying to cheer myself up so no flames please, that's the absolute last thing I need.

Next chapter will be good and angsty though, I promise. ^^ If I can ever write it, I'm so depressed it's not even funny. -_-

Well on that happy note… ta ta loves. :)

LOSGAP =D


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